The main opposition Botswana National Front (BNF) and the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) have asserted that it will be difficult for the Independence Electoral Commission (IEC) to ensure that the voters are genuine. So far, about 10 people have transferred their votes to Gaborone North West.
IEC officials at Village offices told monitor that a considerable number of people had been coming to their offices either for new registration or transferring their votes.Throughout the week there has been accusations and counter accusations between the BNF and BDP. The BNF fingers point to none other than Mazabathi Mokandla as the guy who has been doing the dirty deed. In an interview with Monitor, the BDP branch chairperson of Gaborone West North, John Mazabathi Mokandla, denied allegations that they have embarked on vote trafficking. He said only a few people are transferring their votes, but most of them are those who are registering for the first time. “Some have just reached their 18th birthday.” He affirmed that they have intensified their campaign in the area. He said they have received calls from members of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) who want to vote for Robert Masitara. The BCP and other opposition parties have thrown their weight behind Otsweletse Moupo of the BNF. “We want Moupo to go back to Selebi-Phikwe where he belongs.” In his view only cowards would make allegations that his party are trafficking voters. This is because they know very well they are going to lose and have started making noise. Mokandla said that Masitara is a messiah who cannot be ignored by the voters. “He is a man who would not wait for government funds to bring development to the people.” The Monitor team monitored the situation at the IEC offices on Thursday and Friday where a group potential voters had come to register in sizeable numbers.When a group of young women came to ask for money from Mokandla,who also transporting the group, to buy lunch , an uncomfortable Mokandla told Monitor that this should not be mistaken for buying elections. “These people spend the whole day here, the process is so slow, so we cannot allow them to starve.” He said money spent on lunch is sourced from Good Samaritans who understand the importance of voting. But the BNF believes this is money from Masitara.
``These are slush funds sponsoring an undemocratic practice,’’ a BNF official said.
Moupo indicated that he is worried about the alleged voter trafficking. “These are unscrupulous acts perpetuated by the ruling party, but it is unlawful.” He said that people are taking advantage of the loophole in the law that allows transfer of votes. He alluded to the fact that IEC has difficulties in establishing the validity of a transfer and this increases the chances of cheating.
To address the problem, the IEC has issued a press statement that urges voters who want to transfers to be honest. “Only voters whose principal place of residence is Gaborone West North constituency and can produce proof to that effect are allowed to transfer to that constituency,” the IEC says in the statement. The concerns came after voters started flooding the Gaborone elections office to request that their registration be transferred to Gaborone West North.
