19 Mar 2023

As the clock ticks, drwaing Botswana closer to the next general elections, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has committed to deliver free, fair and credible elections, come 2024.

“The commission looks forward to the 2024 general elections with the hope and belief that indeed they will deliver effectively and efficiently,” Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng said when presenting IEC’s 2023/2024 financial year budget proposals.

To ensure that the IEC delivered free, fair and credible 2024 general elections, Minister Morwaeng thus requested Parliament to approve over P246.9 million for the organisation’s allocation in the next financial year, out of which P86.1 million or about 35 per cent would cover the recurrent budget while the development budget required P160.8 million or about 65 per cent of the proposed budget.

“Major items of expenditure that comprise recurrent budget proposal include the general expenses, departmental services as well as equipment maintenance and running expenses,” explained the minister. 

With regard to the development budget, Mr Morwaeng said the largest share amounting to P115 million or about 72 per cent would be allocated to voter registration exercise to be carried out as part of the preparations for the 2024 general elections.

The second largest share of P30.9 million or about 19 per cent, he said would be used in the establishment of polling districts and polling stations, a project that would precede the voter registration exercise.

Mr Morwaeng added that over P9.4 million or about six per cent of the development budget would be used in the review of electoral processes. 

He further requested for P4 million or about two per cent to be used in the project to replace the election management system.

“The current system has become obsolete with age and therefore requires replacement,” the minister said.

Again, he said P1.4 million or about one per cent would be allocated for fleet expansion, taking into consideration the new stations of Hukuntsi and Charleshill that needed to be resourced immediately.

Mr Morwaeng stated that the new stations were established in a bid to improve service delivery.

“This development will ease pressure from the Tsabong and Ghanzi offices, which are covering these places and bring electoral services closer to communities in both Ghanzi South and Kgalagadi North constituencies, a matter that has been of concern,” he added.

The minister further told Parliament that efforts were in place to bring electoral services closer to Batswana by opening two more offices at Good Hope and Moshupa during the 2023/2024 financial year.

Nonetheless, Mr Morwaeng decried the low turnout in the past two council by-elections at Bophirima and Moselewapula polling districts, attributing it to voter apathy, which he said remained one of the major challenges the election management body was faced with. ends