admin
JOHANNESBURG — The Botswana high court has accepted four nominations for presidential candidates who will contest in next months elections.
These include incumbent President Mokgweetsi Masisi of the Botswana Democratic Party, Duma Boko of the opposition — Umbrella for Democratic Change, the leader the newly formed Botswana Patriotic Front Biggie Butale and Ndaba Gaolathe of the Alliance for Progressives.
The high court has submitted the nominations to the Independent Electoral Commission and that marks the official kick-off of the presidential race.
Botswana elections usually come and go without incident.
But this year even comedians are cashing-in on the highly contested poll.
This is thanks to former President Ian Khama who upped the stakes when he announced he was leaving the BDP that has governed since independence and made him president.
The role of the high court is to receive and verify the eligibility of the candidates for president and for the chief justice to confirm them to the IEC.
And it was a hive of activity over the weekend as thousands of party supporters, dressed in different colours, accompanied their candidates.
The IEC said that the candidate that wins 29 of the 57 constituencies of the country will be the next president of Botswana. — AFP
Online Reporter