GABORONE-The Head of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Election Observer Mission (SEOM) in Botswana, Hon. Mizengo Pinda, met and engaged in fruitful discussions with the Chairperson and leadership of the Botswana Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in Gaborone, Botswana.
Hon. Pinda met with the Chairperson of the IEC, Hon. Justice Barnabas Nyamadzabo, and the Executive Secretary, Mr. Jefferson Siamisang, as part of his engagements with various stakeholders to gather insights on issues related to Botswana's upcoming general elections scheduled for October 30, 2024.
The IEC Chairperson Justice Nyamadzabo outlined the responsibilities of the IEC as stipulated in Section 65A of the Botswana Constitution, namely: overseeing and conducting elections for Members of Parliament and Local Government Authorities; conducting referendums; ensuring elections are carried out efficiently, accurately, freely, and fairly; issuing directives to the Commission's Secretary regarding their duties under the Constitution and Election Laws; and executing any other tasks as prescribed by the country's electoral legislation.
He added that the IEC is also mandated to handle voter registration and managing campaign expenses, emphasizing that the Commission does not have the authority to resolve electoral disputes, which are supposed to be referred to the High Court.
Speaking at the meeting, the IEC Executive Secretary Siamisang stated that the IEC is fully prepared to conduct the national general elections and is committed to executing the task effectively and efficiently.
He highlighted that the IEC has already conducted an advance voting exercise for the Botswana diaspora, security personnel, and IEC staff that happened on October 18, 2024, adding that the IEC has achieved an 80% voter registration rate, which is an increase of 7% from the 2019 voter registration.
"The IEC has completed the first phase of the advance voting process, which involved registered diaspora, security personnel, and IEC staff. I assure you that we are well-prepared and ready to manage the election process efficiently. Everything is in place, and our teams are ready; in general, preparations are complete; we are just waiting for election day," he stated.
After receiving the report from the IEC, HoM Hon. Mizengo Pinda expressed gratitude to the IEC for the meeting and for detailing their preparations for the election process.
Hon. Pinda said SEOM's role as observers is to observe how the elections are conducted as part of efforts to promote and strengthen democracy within the SADC region.
He mentioned that SEOM has deployed observers to all districts and municipalities in Botswana to monitor the election process before, during, and after the elections, adding that SEOM will provide a preliminary report on the situation by November 1, 2024.