21 May 2017

 It is important for any changes made to a democratic electoral process to enjoy popular support from different stakeholders within society, including contesting political parties and the electorate.

This was the view held by the majority of speakers during a panel discussion on the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVM) in Gaborone on Thursday night.

Mr Takawira Musavengana, a democracy and governance expert, said there were different electoral models used on the continent, and that each country needed to use what was best suitable to its conditions.

“What is important is for any changes to the electoral system to enjoy the goodwill of the majority of the voters and the various stakeholders involved in the electoral process,” Mr Musavengana said.

Mr Grant Masterson, programme manager: governance and political institution and processes at the South African-based Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa (EISA) held the same view.

He said there was no perfect electoral process, and that the use of modern technology tended to lead to improved efficiency in the manner in which elections were conducted.  “But what is key is for any changes made to have the support of the majority of stakeholders,” said Mr Masterson.

He urged the different political stakeholders in Botswana not to politicise changes made to the electoral process such as the introduction of the EVMs.

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) secretary general, Mr Botsalo Ntuane said the introduction of the EVM was done after a law was passed with the support of the BDP parliamentary caucus. 

He said that the debate of the efficacy of the EVMs would continue at his party’s next congress set to be held in July.  

Mr Ntuane said the IEC had suggested the use of the EVM in order to improve the electoral process.

Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) representative, Mr Nelson Ramaotwana said his organisation was against the use of EVMs in the next general election.

He said Mr Gabriel Seeletso of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) had met the Botswana National Front (BNF) central committee to explain the introduction of the EVMs, but that the BNF and other UDC partners were not satisfied with the reasons advanced.

Mr Ramaotwana said changes to the electoral system that needed to be introduced were those suggested by stakeholders supported by regional and continental observers, including the state funding of political parties.

Selibe Phikwe West Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, who was speaking on behalf of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), said his organisation also rejected the introduction of the EVMs.

He said he was part of a parliamentary delegation that went to Namibia and India to study the use of EVMs, and was left with questions about the audit trail of ballots cast and the possibility of the machines being hacked.

Mr Keorapetse said the constitution provided for a ballot vote and that any changes to the electoral system to include voting by a machine should be done after a thorough national debate with different stakeholders taken on board to ensure credibility of the democratic process. ENDS