The opposition unit highlighted that neither the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), Botswana Police Service (BPS), nor the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) would stand in the way of a clean electoral process on their watch. Addressing a press conference on Sunday afternoon, the leader, Mike Keakopa, expressed serious concerns regarding the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC) failure to provide sufficient ballot papers. He indicated that this shortfall signals potential chaos in the upcoming General Election, as some civil servants were unable to vote. "The IEC Act is very clear; only police officers are permitted at polling stations. There is no provision for DIS or BDF members. As political parties, we are stakeholders and have the right to receive the final voters' roll and to inspect it," he emphasised. "We can't allow the IEC to violate established laws to favour any party. There are clear indications of rigging. This is our country, and we must protect it. We won't resort to violence but will engage with relevant officials to address our concerns."
Furthermore, Keakopa accused the IEC of collecting marked voters' rolls used during Saturday's voting for civil servants, stating that this practice complicates tracking who voted and who didn't. Additionally, he criticised the washable ink used, which wasn't the type recommended by the political parties. Madibelatlhopho called for the IEC to conduct free, transparent, and fair elections, urging the commission to allow political parties to seal ballot boxes and to print enough ballot papers to prevent further issues. In response, IEC Secretary Jeffrey Siamisang acknowledged the shortage of ballot papers whilst addressing the nation about the situation on the national broadcaster, Btv. "We expected over 12,000 civil servants, including police officers, to vote on Saturday. Unfortunately, the turnout exceeded our projections, as many civil servants were hesitant to indicate where they would be voting due to their suspicions.
