President Masisi assures AU team of support
29 Oct 2024
President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has assured the African Union (AU) election observers mission of government’s full support in exercising its mission in the country.
The team, led by former Nigeria president, Mr Goodluck Jonathan, arrived in the country on October 22 and will be around until November 3.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the team, President Masisi said as a full member of the AU, Botswana highly cherished the team’s mission in the country, and that the country wanted to be observed frankly, fairly, honesty and sincerely without any bias.
“So feel free to go anywhere as long as you remain in Botswana territory,” he said.
He said Botswana was currently conducting its 13th editions and had been conducting such every fifth year as the constitution required.
President Masisi also explained that the reason the army was posted across the country during elections period, was solely for logistical support, especially in areas that were hard to reach like in the delta.
He said this was more so that the police were mostly thin on the ground during such times.
“The military actually act under the command of the Commissioner of Police, not the Commander of the army,” he explained.
He also cautioned the team to be wary of fake narratives while on the ground which he said affected all parties.
President Masisi was explaining after MrJonathan indicated that some local stakeholders had raised concern over the deployment of the army across the country during elections period, saying that it created some worries.
Meanwhile, Mr Jonathan also indicated that in terms of democracy, Botswana was one of the stars of the continent.
“From 1965, this country has been consistently conducting elections every five years, so here, democracy has been consolidated compared to most African countries that have checkered democracies of military interventions from time to time,” he said.
Mr Jonathan therefore urged Botswana to keep up the image and good practice.
He said that his team had a two-day training before their deployment across the country, and would issue a preliminary statement on its findings and assessment on November 1.
He said their presence in Botswana was important as part of the AU’s solidarity to its member states and mandate of the AU Commission to promote democracy and democratic elections in Africa.
“This is in line with AU’s overall mission of a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa,” he said.
He however, advised that the country needed to ratify the 2007 African charter on democracy, elections and governance.
He said that despite not having ratified that yet, Botswana had been doing well on those areas.
“So what we need is just the ratification,” he said.
Mr Jonathan also urged the country to consider the proclamation of elections to be done by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), and well in time to allow those in the diaspora who wanted to come and vote at home to make arrangements well in time.
He also advised that counting should be done at the polling stations for security reasons, rather than transporting votes to a central point in a constituency.
The AU observer mission is composed of current and former African ambassadors, members of electoral management bodies, representatives of civil society organisations and independent elections experts from AU member states. ENDS
Source : BOPA
Author : Olekantse Sennamose
Location : Gaborone
Event : Courtesy call
Date : 29 Oct 2024
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