A panel of three High court judges has dismissed election petitions launched by opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) with cost.
Delivering a majority ruling in Gaborone High Court Justice Ookeditse Maphakwane said that failure to provide material facts is fatal to an election petition.
According Justice Maphakwane, any reference to corrupt and illegal practices requires essential elements or evidence.
Maphakwane further stated that failure to provide verifying affidavit is insufficient on legal grounds .
“The petitioners did not comply because it is a requirement to submit a verifying affividit,” said Maphakwane.
The four election petition cases are part of 16 petitions which were launched by UDC. The petitioners were UDC candidates in the October 23 poll. UDC alleged that the Directorate of Security and Intelligence aided the ruling Botswana Democratic Party(BDP) of rigging the general elections.
KO/abj/APA