Mmolotsi wants IEC TV channel

Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Thursday March 10, 2016 16:31

Debating the IEC budget allocation in Parliament, Mmolotsi said Botswana television (Btv) has failed to provide balanced coverage of all parties during election campaigns.

Mmolotsi said the IEC should be allowed to draw its own budget because the process of conducting elections is expensive. With more funds, he said, the IEC should invest in voter education to fight apathy. He charged that irresponsible activists and candidates abused their knowledge and took advantage of voters who were not knowledgeable by threatening them.

“If the IEC has its own broadcast channel, we will not have any interest in watching the ‘devil’ Btv,” he said. He added that this could only be achieved if the IEC was made independent and moved from the Office of the President, while the executive secretary should be voted by Parliament.

Francistown East MP, Buti Billy, said the recurrent budget proposed for the IEC was small and should be increased to enable the commission to conduct the increasing number of by-elections. Billy called for political party funding, saying it would level the playing field. He indicated that some parties absorbed others because they cannot sustain themselves.

“If you take MELS, its ideologies don’t match with those of BCP and its not like he wanted to partner with them but he had no choice,” he said. “Funding will allow democracy at its best. We should leave franchised democracy.” Gaborone North MP, Haskins Nkaigwa, challenged government to improve infrastructure of the IEC.

He said the IEC used caravans as offices, did not have proper stationary and furniture. He also said more money was needed to educate citizens about voting. Assistant minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Phillip Makgalemele, proposed that the IEC be allocated P55,7 million recurrent budget and P15 million development budget.