Money influences politics in several ways; it is needed by one to get elected into public office and it is sometimes the reason some politicians run for office in the first place and even cause some move from one party to another. It has become the reason why some businesspeople, especially pseudo businesspeople with minute or no business acumen, support the ruling party.
There is no public funding of political parties in Botswana although the 10th Parliament has adopted a motion calling for the same. There is no indication that the ruling party will implement the motion. It is not just Parliament which has called for public funding of political parties; academics, media, civil society, the Independent Electoral Commission, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime, Business Botswana (formerly BOCCIM) and international election observers among many others. The reasons advanced are that the political playing field should be levelled and that this may reduce chequebook elections-a situation where sponsors can pay for candidates’ or parties’ campaigns and consequently influence public policy to serve their interests.
