UDC, Boko delusional - BDP
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday December 19, 2022 06:00
Over the weekend, the leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Advocate Duma Boko told a UDC rally in Francistown West that the 2019 General Election were rigged.
Boko, who will be attempting to win the presidency on his fourth time in 2024, was however bullish of becoming Botswana’s sixth president although he was uneasy about whether the elections would be free or fair.
He also said that plans were afoot for the BDP to rig the 2024 General Election, but he warned those who want to cheat in 2024 that they will pay with their own lives. “By so saying, I am not inciting violence.
All I am doing is appealing to your conscience. Should any cheating take place that will be your fault...,” said Boko. In 2019, the High Court of Botswana dismissed all election rigging petitions that were brought by the UDC over “irregularities”. The BDP won with a majority of 38 seats against the UDC's 15 seats in the 57-member Parliament.
The UDC had petitioned the court and contested the outcome of the election citing "irregularities in some of the constituencies". At the time, Justice Mercy Garekwe said "it cannot be deduced that the people or institutions which allegedly committed the corrupt and illegal practices are election or polling agents of the 2nd respondent (BDP)". Most of the judges who presided over the election rigging petitions were of the view that the matter was not properly before the court, saying that the petitioners failed to provide verifying affidavits and comply with rules.
One of the dissenting judges Michael Leburu said it was a sad day for democracy when the courts decided to deny the nation a chance to know what really happened. "The case is about justice not formalism. Judges who are quick to dismiss cases based on technicalities deny litigants justice and avoid difficult issues raised during the merits," Leburu said.
Then, Boko praised the judgement delivered by Leburu. "Even I know how painful and difficult it is to cut against the grain of conservative thought and set yourselves apart from those held hostage," Duma wrote on his Facebook page. "That's the way of justice."
While it not for the first time for Boko and politicians in the opposition ranks to accuse the BDP of having rigged the 2019 polls and planning to steal the people’s vote in 2024, the BDP spokesperson Kagelelo Kentse characterised the claims as pure lies that border on useless political rhetoric. Kentse said: “Any continuation to comment on claims that the 2019 general elections were rigged will give it unnecessary attention.
Boko and his followers have not recovered from 2019 general elections loss and must seek help. Boko has not recovered from the humiliating loss that he suffered at the hands of Annah Mokgethi.” Kentse stated that the continuing baseless and false narrative that the BDP rigged the 2019 elections firstly undermines the honourable courts of Botswana that decided on the election petitions. “Secondly, Boko and all people who are peddling this false narrative that the elections were rigged are undermining Batswana who stood in long queues to vote for the BDP. Thirdly, all baseless assertions that the elections were rigged undermines the democratic process of choosing leaders (ruling party) in Botswana,” said a displeased Kentse.
He stated that “we at the BDP have seen evidence that the UDC was going to use in court to motivate their petitions. That evidence is shady and if it were admitted in court, it was not going to achieve anything but further embarrass the UDC”.