Botswana’s voter registration process for the 2024 general elections has been suspended.
This comes as the opposition, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) face off in a matter that will be back in court next week.
The UDC has secured an interim order, interdicting the IEC from preventing the party’s agents from monitoring the voter registration process.
The attorney for the respondents, Busang Manewe says, “Given that this matter is before you, brought by the applicants themselves, we submit, strictly speaking, none of these three judges should sit to determine the legality or otherwise of the Chief Justice’s decision. They are all conflicted including yourself, my lord.”
The presiding officer, Justice Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe, handed down an interim order, with the respondents having to show why it should not be made final.
Ketlogetswe says, “I have added paragraph 2.2 which says the hearing of the substantive application is hereby postponed until the finalisation of this application and paragraph three that the applicant in due course files an application for the review of the decision of the first respondent to empanel three judges in the matter, appointing the fourth and fifth respondents to preside over the substantive matter. For paragraphs 2.1 and 2.2 above shall operate as an interim interdict until the finalisation of this application.”
