Opposition to lose elections � report
Oarabile Mosikare | Tuesday August 26, 2014 15:05
“The first reason is that Botswana’s scattered opposition is unlikely to win many seats in the country’s electoral system. The second is that one of the opposition parties has lost its front man in a recent car accident. But the most important reason is that in spite of the corruption charges, autocratic movements and remaining high inequality, the population has (so far) remained pleased with the way the country is being run,” reads the report published last Friday.
Recently, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) lost its charismatic secretary general Gomolemo Motswaledi in a tragic car accident. He was its Gaborone Central elections candidate.
The reports says so far, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has seen both the removal as well as the defection of several of its Members of Parliament. In addition, one of the most powerful labour unions in the country has put its weight behind opposition candidates.
Also, the opposition has been profiting from allegations towards the head of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), Isaac Kgosi, that he misused his position for personal gain. The government tried to stop the stories from emerging in the local media, but has been unsuccessful.
The report says in the past few years, President Ian Khama has increasingly sought to centralise power in his office and with the DIS.
“This is definitely not a welcome move. Botswana has long been one of the most politically stable countries in the region, with a functioning democracy and proper institutions. Although the country still ranks first within Southern Africa from an institutional point of view, these tendencies from the central government are likely to hamper the political and business climate in the medium term,” reads part of the report.
In the 2009 parliamentary elections, the ruling BDP received 53% of the popular vote but won 45 out of 57 directly elected seats. The BDP has been in power since the country gained independence from Britain in 1966 by winning ten consecutive elections.