GABORONE-The Head of the Southern African Development Community Electoral Observation Mission (SADC-SEOM), Hon. Pinda, and his team engage more and more in meetings with Botswana’s general election stakeholders.
Hon. Pinda and his team met and held discussions with Mr. Monametsi Sokwe, the Executive Director of the African Trust in Gaborone, to hear his insights on the preparations for the upcoming elections.
Hon. Pinda urged Mr. Sokwe and his partners to ensure the increased involvement of women and youth in political activities, emphasizing that such engagement is essential for the growth of democracy.
Mr. Sokwe expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet with SEOM, highlighting that many political parties are still young and lack the financial resources to effectively conduct their campaign activities during this election period.
In another meeting, Hon. Pinda held an online discussion with the leader of the Botswana Republican Party (BRP), Mr. Biggie Butale, in the capital, Gaborone.
Hon. Pinda expressed the mission's intention to speak with the BRP leader is to gather his views on the way Botswana’s general elections are conducted from political campaigns and whether the environment is conducive and satisfactory for the political parties.
Mr. Butale, whose party has fielded ten candidates for parliamentary seats in the upcoming elections, conveyed his satisfaction with the ongoing preparations for the general elections, noting that the environment has been safe.
He, however, expressed concern over the proposal to fund political parties after the elections, stating that the approach does not create a level playing field and noted that it disproportionately benefits large parties, leaving smaller parties at a disadvantage.
On October 30, 2024, the citizens of Botswana will cast their votes in the general elections to select members of the 13th Parliament and local council representatives. A total of 61 national assembly seats and 609 local council seats will be contested.
SEOM has deployed its election observers across districts, towns, and cities throughout