The government has confirmed it will not conduct an audit of the 2019 general elections, despite previous allegations of rigging by the now-ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
In a parliamentary response this week, the Minister for State President, Defence and Security Moeti Mohwasa said the UDC had filed 19 election petitions with the High Court following the October 2019 polls. Almost all were dismissed on technical grounds, without addressing the substantive issues of the disputes, the minister said.
Mohwasa said the UDC government’s current focus is on economic transformation, employment creation and improvement of governance architecture. “Pursuing issues that have been overtaken by events such as the 2019 General Election petitions would be imprudent on the part of the UDC government,” the reply read.
When asked whether individuals at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) had been identified or whether criminal charges would be levelled against Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leadership, the minister’s response did not provide specific answers.
The minister confirmed that the government will not conduct an audit of the 2019 General Elections.
The UDC had previously relied on sworn affidavits and a forensic audit conducted by South Africa-based Forensics for Justice, headed by Paul O’Sullivan, which the party claimed pointed to rigging, money laundering and fraud.
When asked whether individuals at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) had been identified or whether criminal charges would be levelled against Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leadership, the minister’s response did not provide specific answers.
Mohwasa reiterated the government’s commitment to introducing electoral reforms. An All Party Conference is scheduled for 31 July 2026, with further reforms to follow the completion of the Comprehensive Constitutional Review. “The government’s dedicated commitment to introducing electoral reforms in Botswana remains fixed in place, the same way it was before the 2024 General Elections,” the minister stated. “This is a pledge the government is going to fulfil, following all the necessary consultative processes.” Mohwasa was responding to a question by Serowe South MP Leepetswe Lesedi.
