POLITICS-BOTSWANA:
The New President Takes Office
Bester Gabotlale
GABORONE, Nov 2 (IPS) - Festus Mogae was sworn into office as Botswana’s new head of state Tuesday, after weekend elections that saw the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) re-capture the lion’s share of seats in the Southern African country’s legislature.
This victory assured Mogae of his second and final term in office.
Hundreds gathered in the capital, Gaborone, to witness the swearing-in ceremony – during which the president signaled his commitment to regional co-operation and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
This initiative aims to attract increased investment to Africa through improved levels of governance across the continent. Botswana already leads the way in this regard.
Of all the African countries surveyed for the 2004 ‘Corruption Perceptions Index’ compiled by Transparency International, Botswana scored highest: it was placed 31st on the list. The Berlin-based non-governmental group rated 146 states for the index.
The BDP, which has ruled Botswana since independence from Britain in 1966, won 44 of the 57 seats on offer during the Oct. 30 poll. The Botswana National Front (BNF) garnered 12, while the remaining seat went to the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).
Botswana’s political stability and steady economic growth, courtesy of diamond exports, have earned it acclaim on a continent where these advantages are in short supply. However, Mogae will resume his presidency in the shadow of the AIDS pandemic: Botswana has the second-highest HIV-prevalence rate in the world – 38.5 percent.
Unemployment, officially pegged at 20 percent – but possibly twice as high – will also tax the new government’s ingenuity.
"Together we have a contract and common purpose to eradicate poverty, create employment and combat the scourge of HIV/AIDS," said Mogae, after taking the oath of office. "The situation demands urgent action and the needs are compelling."
In addition, the BDP is also likely to face demands for electoral reforms such as the introduction of proportional representation, funding for political parties, direct election of the president – and the creation of an independent electoral commission. At present, the secretary of Botswana’s electoral commission is appointed by the head of state.
"The appointment of the IEC (independent electoral commission) and its secretary raise concerns...about the independence and impartiality of the IEC," said Ntlhoi Motsamai, who headed a delegation sent by the Johannesburg-based Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) to observe Saturday’s poll.
These concerns were echoed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum, which allows legislators from the region to partake in activities which promote democracy in SADC.
A delegation from the forum – which has its secretariat in the Namibian capital, Windhoek – said funding for political parties would promote a broader participation in the electoral process. It also called for closer monitoring of the use of state resources by ruling party officials, for election purposes.
On the matter of proportional representation, Motsamai told reporters Monday that "It is high time that Botswana considers making reforms in the electoral system. The number of seats won by parties is not reflective of their performance."
The country presently uses the "first past the post" electoral system – a relic of the colonial era which allocates parliamentary seats to those who win these posts. Proportional representation would allow seats to be allocated according to the percentage of the national vote that parties gain during polls.
In the last general election, held in 1999, the BDP won 33 of the 40 seats on offer with only 54.34 percent of the total vote (the number of legislative posts was increased for the 2004 poll to accommodate population growth).
"The ‘first past the post’ electoral system used in Botswana has been found in a number of countries to lead to under-representation of women," said Motsamai, noting that it also tended to deny smaller political parties a presence in the legislature.
Only four of the seven women candidates fielded by BDP won their seats (while none of the seven women who stood as opposition candidates were successful). This means that Botswana will fail to reach a target set by SADC in 1997 of having 30 percent of parliamentary seats in member states occupied by women, by 2005.
The BNF and BCP also expressed concerns about alleged presidential influence over Botswana’s Delimitation Commission, which is appointed by the head of state to draw up new constituencies.
Opposition members say this has resulted in constituencies being delineated to create ruling party strongholds.
Overall, however, the SADC Parliamentary Forum and EISA said the Oct. 30 poll was free and fair.
Although the opposition only won 13 seats on Saturday, it did manage to make inroads in rural areas that were previously considered to be firmly in the grip of the BDP. The ruling party, in its turn, performed well in certain urban constituencies that were perceived as favourable to the opposition.
Commentators agreed, however, that the opposition would probably have made a better showing at the polls had it presented more of a united front. Thanks to vote splitting between opposition groups, the BDP won certain constituencies with about half the combined opposition vote.
"This is not good for democracy. We need the opposition in parliament," said Zidani Maundeni, a political science lecturer at the University of Botswana – and head of the Democracy Research Project.
While the BNF formed an alliance with the Botswana People’s Party and the Botswana Alliance Movement, this wasn’t enough to present a serious challenge to the ruling party. Many believe that nothing less than a partnership between the BNF and the BCP would have proved effective.
The BCP is in fact an off-shoot of the BNF: disgruntled members of the BNF split from the party in 1998 to form the BCP. The two groups have struggled to see eye-to-eye ever since.
"We think complete unity would take a long time to achieve but we must be able to work together," says Michael Dingake, former BCP president and founder member said the party.
Mogae has indicated that he will hand over power to his vice-president, Ian Khama (son of Botswana’s first president, Seretse Khama), in 2008. This has raised concern in certain quarters, where some reportedly view Khama as "authoritarian".
Khama’s use of military helicopters on the campaign trail – something that contravenes the Botswana Defence Force Act – has also come in for criticism. (END/2004)
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