Botswana’s 2024 Elections: The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Under Public Surveillance and Scrutiny

Abstract

All national elections held in Botswana since Independence have been declared free and fair. Despite positive evaluations of Botswana elections over the years, public trust in the Botswana Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the institution tasked with the administration of elections in Botswana, has been declining. In the period leading to the 2024 elections, opposition parties raised concerns about possible rigging and manipulation of the election process in favour of the ruling party. This paper examines public trust in the IEC in the period leading to the 2024 elections. It argues that the IEC attracted considerable public scrutiny because of declining public trust in the IEC and other government institutions and general dissatisfaction with the quality of democracy in Botswana.