UDC rejects voters’ roll
Says roll not detailed enough Says roll not easily accessible Threatens court action
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) have reiterated their doubts on the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) inability to run elections as desired as the 2024 General Election approaches.
The party isn’t amused with the recently released voters’ roll and is even considering court action.
Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Dithapelo Keorapetse, said the IEC isn’t ready to run elections that meet international standards and norms such as those espoused by the United Nations (UN), International IDEA, African Union (AU), Commonwealth, Southern African Development Community (SADC) Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, SADC-PF Model Law on Elections and others.
According to the Selebi-Phikwe West legislator, the release of the voters’ roll is clear evidence that the IEC can’t run free, fair, transparent and credible elections. He said the Commission is non-accountable, haphazard, dangerously corrupt, and incompetent and must be stopped immediately.
“Firstly, in some areas, the roll has been made available late because of problems with the printers. The roll is available in very few places and it is available only in hard copy format. In Selebi-Phikwe West it can be found in only two places, the BBS Building, where it is found at the District
Commissioner Offices and IEC Offices and the Kagiso Kgotla, making it labori- ous to access. The Voters Roll is prohibitively exorbitant for candidates and parties who are constitutionally key stakeholders in elections,” he said.
Keorapetse further stated that the IEC has unreasonably decided not to publish the Voters Roll on their website, Facebook page or any social media platform even though the law allows them to do so. “Their claim that they are constrained by data protection ethos and ordinances is not only false and ridiculous but also an attempt to hide a more sinister motive of aiding and abetting massive cheating in the 2024 elections. Why did Parliament empower the IEC to publish an electronic version of the roll on the website or any platform as the Secretary may determine?” he quizzed.
The LoO said the IEC blatantly without any reasonable and logical reasoning refuses to give parties and candidates soft copies of the voters’ roll. “They claim that the law states that they should only avail hard copies. Previously, we were provided with CDs containing soft copies of the voters’ roll the sky didn’t fall when they did that in 2019 and before. “We were able to quickly identify multiple registrations during 2019 because it’s easy to work with a soft copy. It is also easy to check one’s name on the roll,” he said.
Keorapetse said most worryingly devastating and tragically disheartening, the IEC has released a very shocking document that in their view falls short of a lawful voters’ roll.
“It is without plot numbers. The document does not meet the basic standard of an election Roll.
Only an IEC of a banana republic can release this kind of role. How are we supposed to inspect it for 42 days and identify people who have been trafficked and are registered where they’re not supposed to? It’s absurd, it’s dubious and fraudulent,” bemoaned Keorapetse.
He said it is more disturbing the IEC’s lackadaisical attitude towards political players who seek to demand fairness and transparency in the process. Furthermore, he added that it is clear why the IEC opposed the registration process observation.
He said their attempts at phone calls, meetings, and letters have not borne fruit.
“We may have to litigate and assert our right to participate in a free, fair, transparent, accountable and credible electoral process.
“The time has also come for the international community to be made aware of what’s happening in Botswana, that democracy is fast regressing to authoritarianism,” he said.
The roll is available in very few places and it is available only in hard copy format