BCP threatens action against IEC
ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer
SELEBI-PHIKWE: Botswana Congress Party (BCP) members in Selebi-Phikwe East constituency have said they will take appropriate action if the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) remains partisan and pro-Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) during elections.
The BCP issued the warning after they held a postmortem on last month's election. In a letter to the deputy town clerk, Terrance Ntalabgwe, who was the returning officer in the constituency, the BCP, through its Selebi-East chairman Joseph Molambane, indicated that failure by the IEC to accord civil servants an opportunity to vote last September as earlier directed was wrong. "The IEC has denied the electorate the right to exercise and enjoy their constitutional right, a scandal, which in civilised societies would warrant a resignation and national apology," the letter said.
It alleged that parliamentary ballot boxes from Botshabelo Central and Bobirwa polling stations went to a wrong destination for verification and only arrived at a designated counting area at an unknown time to other stakeholders. The BCP claim Ntalabgwe did not seem to be in control yet there were a lot of planned behind the scene activities during the elections.
"We were not informed of any irregular occurrence neither were the counting agents made to witness the purported initial seal to ascertain that boxes were in their original form. Political parties should have known that some ballot boxes have strayed to the Selebi-Phikwe West counting area where they were not meant to go. Transportation of ballot boxes is a crucial component of the election day and the experience is a wake up call, in future we will respond appropriately in the event the IEC remains partisan and pro-BDP."
The BCP alleged that although they were assured the IEC would provide vehicles for the elections, ballot boxes in Selebi-Phikwe East were transported in privately owned cars and polling agents had no opportunity to deliver what they have been guarding the whole day. The party said that Selebi-Phikwe East seemed to have attracted more attention, to the extent that members of the Special Support Group were deployed in strategic places to ensure that BDP retains the parliamentary seat.
