As Botswana heads to the polls later this month, Boko is convinced that the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) with the help of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will try to rig the elections as it allegedly did in 2019.
Boko, who formed Madibela Tlhopho said the IEC secretary Jeff Siamisang is misleading by saying that people will be arrested if they stay at the polling stations after voting. “We don’t have any law of that sort therefore, no police has the right to arrest a person for waiting at the polling stations. Everyone has the right to protect their voting after casting it. We don’t want them to steal our votes,” he told UDC members recently during the launch of Kgatleng East MP candidate.
Boko said protecting votes is nothing new and has happened before. He added that the IEC should bring enough vehicles to carry both ballot boxes and Madibela Tlhopho who will be guarding the boxes to the counting centre. He said if Madibela Tlhopho is not allowed to guard the boxes then no box will leave the polling centre.
Boko said Madibela Tlhopho will go about its duty by following the law and will not harass or obstruct anyone. The UDC leader said in anticipation of harassment by the security forces, the UDC will put lawyers all over the country on standby. Boko entered the 2024 General Election cycle still skeptical of the electoral process. The Botswana National Front (BNF) president, who lost his parliamentary seat to BDP’s Annah Mokgethi in 2019, says he has lost confidence in the ability of the IEC to conduct credible and fair elections. Boko has always remained adamant in his belief that the 2019 General Election was rigged by the BDP. In January 2020 the Court of Appeal (CoA) dismissed with costs 14 UDC election petitions. The petitions were dismissed citing a lack of jurisdiction. The UDC had petitioned the court and contested the outcome of the elections citing “irregularities in some of the constituencies”. Before the CoA judgment, the petitions were dismissed by the High Court a day before Christmas Day in 2019. Boko’s stolen election claims were discredited by judges in election petitions that failed to overturn the election result.
Lately, Boko has been issuing threats indicating that anyone including President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Siamisang will pay with their lives if they attempt to rig the elections. Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, Dinah Marathe has already encouraged police officers to uphold the rule of law and avoid taking any arbitrary measures that would inhibit the exercise of citizens’ democratic rights.
She stated that officers needed to view themselves as facilitators of the democratic process and strive to deliver credible elections that Botswana is known for. Marathe advised officers to acquaint themselves with statutes like the Electoral Act, Penal Code, Public Order Act, Criminal Procedure, and Evidence Act for democratic management of the election process and to be in a position to respond appropriately to any contending interests with fairness should the need arise.
