Kanu Party leader Gideon Moi has been appointed as the chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer team for the upcoming general elections in Botswana, scheduled for October 30, 2024.
Moi will head a team of five other distinguished individuals from across the Commonwealth, bringing expertise in politics, elections, media, and civil society.
In a statement, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland highlighted the importance of the observer team’s role in upholding democratic values.
“Our presence in Botswana to observe these elections reaffirms our unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights,” she said. “We stand in solidarity with the people of Botswana in upholding democracy and development values as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.”
The observer team includes Georgina Kekea, former president of the Media Associations of Solomon Islands; Pamela Ogiste, Assistant Chief Election Officer from Trinidad and Tobago; retired UK Judge Peter Herbert OBE; Chipokota Mwanawasa, policy adviser to the President of Zambia; and Idzuafi Hadi Kamilan, Executive Director of the Institute for Political Reform and Democracy in Malaysia.
The team will be supported by Commonwealth Secretariat staff, led by Legal Adviser Nancy Kanyago.
Their scope will encompass a comprehensive assessment of Botswana’s election process, including pre-election activities and polling procedures.
On election day, the team will observe opening, voting, closing, counting, and results management processes to ensure alignment with democratic commitments.
This assignment marks Moi’s second recent appointment to a Commonwealth observer role; he previously participated in election monitoring in Antigua and Barbuda in January 2023, under former Seychelles President Danny Faure.
