05 Sep 2021

Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane says the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is ready to conduct elections during COVID-19 when the State of Emergency ends or the regulation suspending conduct of elections is lifted.

“Should the COVID-19 scourge remain a threat, the IEC is ready and prepared to conduct elections with ease,” said the Vice President.

The Vice President, who was responding to a parliamentary question, said the IEC had been a part of deliberations taking place around the world on conducting elections during COVID-19.

“It has customised the health protocols by developing guidelines which will be implemented when executing the electoral processes to reduce or prevent the spread of Coronavirus during the conduct of elections,” he added.

Mr Tsogwane also said the IEC had, through engagement with peers and through observer mission reports, learnt invaluable lessons of conducting elections business.

Some of the lessons learnt, he said, included the need to diversify ways of engaging with stakeholders without meeting them physically as well as need for public education and enhanced community participation in decision making.

He said the law must provide for a non-contact execution of electoral processes such as nomination, voting and counting of votes using modern, secure, and reliable technology.

On the other hand, he told Parliament that public education was a continuous process, although it was currently being conducted at a low scale due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Vice President said Botswana continued to be the beacon of democracy, rule of law and leader in protection of human rights.

“It is our intent as the government of the day to ensure that all citizens of this country’s lives are protected. We run an inclusive government and therefore there is a clear commitment to promote democracy and economic participation where all human rights and rule of law are upheld. 

Dignity is upheld through upholding the rule of law and observance of human rights,” Mr Tsogwane said. 

He was responding to a question from Selebi-Phikwe West MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse who asked the Vice President to explain lessons that the IEC had learnt so far, its level of preparedness on conducting elections as well as time for public education during COVID-19. ENDs