BCP primaries show funding democracy defeciencies

The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) primaries, which were held over the weekend, shed light on the high cost of upholding democracy. The voting process across the country highlighted the challenges faced by the BCP electoral board, revealing lapses in protocol.

There were delays in some areas, with election officers arriving late at polling stations and in the process causing disruptions.

In Gamalete, for instance, voting commenced at 8am instead of the scheduled 6:30am. The reason provided was the need to travel to Gaborone, which is less than 50km away, to collect the ballots.

“Of course, obstacles were there but we managed to hold free and fair elections in Ramotswa and other parts of the country,” BCP electoral board chairperson, Daniel Mosalaesi said in an interview on Sunday.

He acknowledged the challenges faced in the constituencies where elections were held but highlighted the success in Ramotswa and other parts of the country.

“We had trained some of our members on how elections are conducted, but it was unfortunate as others did not have that confidence when they were intimidated by some contenders,” Mosalaesi said.

The elections were originally intended for nine constituencies, including Palapye, Okavango East, Selibe-Phikwe West and East, Okavango West, Gamalete, Nkange, Ngami, and Kgatleng Central.

However, Mosalaesi mentioned that a full report on all areas and potential challenges are still pending.

Insiders have revealed that the party was not adequately prepared, lacking sufficient budget for the primaries. This forced volunteers to resourcefully gather what they could to facilitate the process. Mosalaesi admitted there were “hiccups here and there,” leading to delayed voting in certain areas.

Historically, disorganisation during primaries has caused upheavals and conflicts within political parties. Instances from parties like the Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) have seen losers refusing to support winners during general elections due to bitterness and perceived inadequate resolution of complaints arising from the primaries.

Given the party’s disorganisation, The Monitor observed during the BCP primaries that there is speculation that the results may face challenges and potential contestations.