Saleshando presents Democratic Alert
Monday, December 09, 2013
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This democracy alert serves to further put into focus the insufficiencies of Botswana’s democracy as we move closer to the 2014 general elections. It also serves to make proposals for reforms in the electoral laws and system to make them more inclusive, fair and democratic.
The BCP believes that if these issues are not addressed as a matter of urgency, Botswana’s democratic credentials will continue to diminish. Botswana has been hailed as a shining example of democracy and a beacon of hope on the African continent. While this may have been true at the time when the continent was dominated by military and minority repressive regimes, this is no longer the case as Botswana has been overtaken by new. The Botswana Congress Party views Botswana’s democracy as deficient and out of step with what is expected in a modern day liberal democracy. Botswana conducts generally free elections every five years. It has a multi-party system that allows the people to vote a political party of their choice.
The BDP as a party known to have ample resources has always held its primaries well in time, but this time around that was not the case. The first leg of the primaries was held last weekend, with the final leg being billed for the coming weekend. This time around, the BDP failed to shine in its primary elections. The elections were chaotic; most if not all polling stations didn't open at the specified time of 6am. Loyal BDP members braved the...