Boko sneers at �fair� elections
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday November 19, 2014 16:45
Responding officially to the State of the Nation Address yesterday afternoon, Boko said despite the “pompous rhetoric” by “defenders of the status quo” the recent elections had only been a mask of democracy.
“While many may contend that the elections were generally free, it would amount to unconscious fantasies and self-deception to suggest that the elections were fair,” he said in his inaugural address to Parliament.
“As usual the contest played out in an unfair environment of serious abuse of state resources by the ruling party. The opposition faced near insurmountable challenges. “We faced little to no coverage by the state media, especially Btv, as well as the deployment of Botswana Defence Force aircraft in BDP campaign activity.
These were carried out without even an ounce of shame by the Presidency,” he said. Boko added that the electoral statutes governing the appointment of specially elected members of parliament and nominated councillors unfairly favoured the ruling party.
The Leader of the Opposition said his Francistown South legislator, Wynter Mmolotsi would table a motion to review the system in due course.
“Permit me to express our gravest disappointment with the manner in which the Executive has handled the issue of specially nominated Councillors and Members of Parliament.
“Once again the ruling party has exploited this dispensation to reward proven failures and rejects of the electoral process. It has used this dispensation to dilute and undermine the outcome of the recent elections.
“I must record the indignant rage felt by us in the opposition and indeed the scornful resentment all reasonable citizens feel at this disgraceful conduct. There is nothing honourable about the conduct of the Executive in this regard,” he sneered.
Boko also took a swipe at President Ian Khama’s pronouncements on the rule of law, saying while claiming to espouse the constitutional principle, the Head of State had then berated those he blamed for besmirching the country’s international image.
“The entire treatment by the President of the rule of law and human rights is most revealing. It betrays a complete lack of understanding of the entire edifice of human rights and the rule of law,” he said.
The Botswana Congress Party’s legislator for Okavango, Bagalatia Arone is scheduled to present his party’s response to Khama’s State of the Nation Address next week on behalf of the minority opposition.