The Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations on Friday called on the Independent Electoral Commission to rope in civil society as part of the elections observer mission ahead of the October polls.
Speaking during a press briefing, BOCONGO executive director, Botho Seboko said such a move would ensure that various sections of the society share notes on the health of democracy.
Seboko, who was part of the civil society groups’ observer mission under the Election Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Southern Africa during the just ended general elections in that country observed that under-funding of IEC also discouraged the Commission to be noble to the ideals that could ensure that elections were credible and transparent.
According to Seboko, during the 2014 general elections in Botswana, there were only four government-oriented observer missions while South Africa had 18, including citizen observer groups.
He said should be a lesson for Botswana to improve on during elections. Seboko said South Africa had gone all out on voter education, adding noting that counting was conducted at polling stations compared to in Botswana where ballots are ferried to a counting centre.
KO/as/APA