Political party funding debate, a case for Botswana
Unlike in some of the countries in the Southern African Development Community ( SADC) and beyond, there is no provision for political party funding by the state in Botswana.
For that reason, the subject of political funding has been a talking point for the opposition parties for decades as they call for the provision of political party funding by the state in aid of a level playing field.
“Efficiently and expensively administered elections in which at most only one party can afford the costs of an effective and sophisticated campaign, represent a partial fulfilment of democratisation yet such contests are normal in the SADC region,” Tom Lodge, of the University of Witwatersrand, says.
Botswana has held 12 general elections since the first independence elections in 1965. The opposition in all of these struggled for cash and other resources including vehicles to take the people to party rallies, cover more ground in campaigns hence have better access to the people, run a functioning party office, printing and distribution of posters, use billboards, facilitate the transportation of voters to the voting booths on election day, the publication and distribution of colour printed manifestos as well as meeting the demands of a robust electoral campaign.
They have since accused the ruling Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) of using state funds, government vehicles and other public resources for its political campaigns. Political parties need funds in order to be able to articulate their ideology, programmes and policies to the people. “In a difficult terrain such as Botswana, where most of the rural areas are on heavy sand, such areas are only accessible by four- wheel drive vehicles. The opposition parties that do not have funds are not able to canvas for political support effectively in these areas,” explains Mpho Molomo and David Sebudubudu of the University of Botswana ( UB). They believe that effective electoral campaigns are contingent upon the availability of financial resources which are essential for organisational and strategic planning.
The ruling party has also been accused of extorting campaign funds from the business community particularly foreigners in return for a range of favours including the granting of citizenship to them and their families. Insinuating incompetence on the part of the opposition, the ruling party has insisted that, the money they use in their campaign activities comes from members as membership fees, while some of it comes from its leadership as donations. Long- time BDP treasurer Satar Dada has been quoted saying that his party gets money from friends without elaborating, amidst allegations that, the BDP is sponsored by some of the multinational organisations operating in the country. The BDP has, over the years, vehemently argued that, political funding was not necessary. The BDP has challenged the opposition accusing it of failing to motivate its own members to do the same for their party in terms of mobilising resources for it.
Back in 1999, the President of the BDP, Festus Mogae said that the issue of political funding would be debated so that the right way of running it is found.
He added that the problem is that it would increase the likelihood of fragmentation of opposition parties hoping to make money out of the process. Mogae’s sarcasm aside, through their policies and manifestos, political parties, even those in the opposition, influence national systems. When in power, they transform the tried and tested freedom square ideas into government policies and programmes.
Crucially, political parties provide the electorate with choices. For political parties to execute their mandate they depend largely on the resources at its disposal. “It is commonplace that election campaigns depend, to a large extent, on the resources at its disposal,” Mpho Molomo and David Sebudubudu of the University of Botswana ( UB), say. Their position is that the Electoral Act should be reviewed to accommodate political funding. They add that in Botswana, political parties played a leading role in the attainment of political independence by the country. Sadly, in Botswana, political parties do not have equal access to funds. This, according to political analysts who do not buy the view that the BDP has been winning the elections on account of popularity, insist that the ruling party has benefited from the uneven political field resulting from disparities in the access to financial resources. According to the academics, by taking part in an election, political parties help renew the mandates of the political activists in the interest of democracy.
For the parties to do their job, it is critical that they are capacitated by providing them with equal access to funding opportunities. Molomo and Sebudubudu are critical of the fact that the ruling party raised money for itself by accommodating government departments and ministries at Tsholetsa House.
Some consider it an act of corruption for a ruling party to do that since it is a clear conflict of interest matter.