IEC Registers Over 190 Independent Candidates

 

  • Number likely to increase
  • Fourteen register for Parliamentary candidacy while 184 are for local government

 

SESUPO RANTSIMAKO

 

The looming 2024 general elections have attracted 198 independent candidates, with the number likely to increase before the nomination deadline, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) secretary, Jefferson Siamisang, has revealed.

 

Majority of candidates are male  

Out of the current registered number of independent candidates, 14 are Parliamentary candidates, while 184 are council candidates. So far, only one female, Dr. Seratiwa Ntloedibe, has registered for Parliamentary candidacy in the Molepolole South constituency, while 14 of her counterparts are male. In the previous general elections, only four male Parliamentary candidates contested.

 

Local Government registrations  

As for local government candidacy, 184 people have so far registered, with the majority being men. Registered males are 174, while only 10 registrants are female.

 

In the 2019 general elections, 200 independent candidates contested for local government positions, with 181 being male, while the remaining 19 were female. Out of the total number that contested the general elections, only four were victorious, while no one won a Parliamentary position.

 

Low female participation  

In an interview with The Botswana Gazette, Siamisang said that while independent candidacy is open to all genders, the low number of female candidates is a cause for concern. Shockingly, he highlighted that although females are always lagging behind in terms of candidacy numbers, they vote in large numbers compared to their male counterparts.

 

“Despite the low number of independent female candidates, the 2024 general elections voters roll indicates that women have registered in high numbers, translating to 56 percent, as opposed to their male counterparts who represent the remaining minor percentage,” revealed the IEC secretary.

 

Call for women empowerment  

“Though the high female population might be a contributing factor, the low number of women standing for political office is a cause for concern. This development might be due to a lack of women empowerment programs in politics,” Siamisang added.