Let us redeem our democracy in 2014
Staff Writer | Wednesday January 8, 2014 15:41
This scandal was perpetrated towards the end of November when the BDP failed to field its preferred candidate, Ignatius Moswaane, for a bye-election then slated for November 23 in Francistown West. In the scam, the so-called petitioners - who totalled 1,161 - asked President Ian Khama to exercise his executive powers, as prescribed by the Electoral Act, to consider a new writ for the bye-election.
In a swift move, the Acting President Ponatshego Kedikilwe issued a proclamation that he predicated on public interest, and the bye-election was postponed to January 25, 2014. An ensuing court action launched by opposition parties failed because the judges felt that the President's executive powers could not be challenged.
However, it was only a matter of days before this inquisitive publication exposed the monkeyshines behind the postponement of the bye-election: the name and signature of a Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) stalwart, Tolani Poiso, who had died in 2010, was among the petitioners. Afterwards, many other alleged people came out in the open denying that they participated in the fraudulent activity and subsequently reported the matter to the police.
This was the highlight of our delicate democracy in 2013. If the ruling party could go all the way to 'resurrect' a dead for a bye-election in an obscure constituency in Francistown, the implications are ominous for general elections. Very clearly, our elections have never been fair, especially for opposition parties. Only dubious international organisations can classify Botswana as a 'beacon of democracy and stability'. There is a school of thought that these so-called reputable organisations interview people at Tsholetsa House or the Office of the President for their wild reports. Of course, inquisitive media houses are not very welcome in the controlled atmosphere of the OP.
As if it was not enough, the BDP was reportedly organising another petition for Khama to withdraw the writ of the Francistown West by-election. The party's adventurists at the constituency were busy collecting signatures for the envisaged petition, and as the bye-election date approaches, it is feared that the ruling party will do everything to participate in the bye-election from which it is now legally barred. The plot is the work of a certain high profile lawyer who is close to power in Gaborone, and the adventurists in Francistown who are collecting signatures are mere pawns on the chest board. Nevertheless, we believe it is not too late for the BDP to redeem itself and forget about participating in the forthcoming bye-election because the will be many elections after this one. Batswana cannot afford to have a thieving party in power that is demonstrably ready to steal a ballot.
Today's thought
'The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections.'
- Lord Acton