University of Botswana Students Representative Council (UB SRC) election which has been postponed means the least in determining the outcome of the upcoming 2014 general elections, said Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central Dumelang Saleshando.
UB SRC election which was expected on Friday March 28 has been postponed to April 4 by the Chief Electoral Officer, Moagi Gaboratwe.
When pressed on the matter, Saleshando said the outcome of the UB elections would not affect him in the upcoming general elections.
But he promised to look into the matter and advise where possible, adding that he just heard that the UDC which is the ruling party in the university was not prepared.
 
“UBCD-BCP SRC at UB has never won any elections on campus so the postponement means the least to me because the Botswana National Front (BNF) which is currently under Umbrella For Democratic Change (UDC) has been in the forefront in winning the elections in the past,” said Saleshando.
 According to a memorandum signed by Chief Electoral Officer, Moagi Gaboratwe, the elections were postponed due because they had fallen behind in ballot designing, printing of ballot papers and formation of the electoral team, among other things.
 Gaboratwe further said the delay in preparing the election committee was caused by UDC members fighting each other on who to stand as a preferred candidate for available position within the party.
BDP president, Lesego Otukile described the incident as a joke. He said the electoral officer is a UDC member who was tipped in by the outgoing president Kago Mokotedi to protect the party which is divided.
BCP president Kethebe Sethunyane also shared the same sentiment by BDP.
┬á“We are really shocked to learn that the outgoing president is the one who influenced the postponement. He first issued a memo signed by himself and later another memo by the Chief Electoral officer that the election has been postponed. But it is unconstitutional for him to postpone the election and we are therefore seeking legal opinion on the matter,” said Sethunyane
 He said the SRC constitutions says the election should be held annually in the last week of March but to their surprise the elections has been postponed to another date.
Chief Election Officer Gaboratwe defended his office saying the constitution is silent on whether the elections can be postponed or not. He said there is nothing wrong with allocating another date which is suitable to allow for resources, electoral team structures  for all the parties involved to allow for free and fair and credible elections within the campus.
