Mmegi News BDP imposes fresh primaries on Francistown-West? - See more at: mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=6749#sthash.bUG5XE2Q.dpuf FRANCISTOWN: Irate ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) diehards in the explosive Francistown West constituency have slammed the central committee for imposing fresh primaries on them. On Sunday the chairperson of the BDP electoral board Parks Tafa was given the platform to explain legal intricacies surrounding fresh primaries and a re-run. The weekend in-house meeting held at Tati River Lodge was a sequel to a stormy one last Thursday called by Vice President and BDP chairman Ponatshego Kedikilwe in which constituents defied the BDP central committee. At the Kedikilwe meeting, the BDP leadership got a rude awakening as enraged party members rejected the leadership proposal of holding fresh primary elections in Francistown West. They preferred a re-run. Now, the party leadership has turned the tables. An inside source who attended the Sunday meeting said Tafa explained that BDP rules and regulations on Bulela Ditswe did not have a re-run since it is a broad word which was mostly applicable to primary election cases in 2003. It was explained that fresh elections are held in the event of the death of a candidate or withdrawal of candidature. Mmegi was told Tafa said a re-run is used to break a tie. BDP activists Otto Masogo and Dimpho Nnang opened the meeting by declaring their support for the leadership in suggesting fresh elections. From the opposing side Tafa was reminded that in the Serowe North West constituency he ordered a re-run after the loser, Ramadeluka Seretse, had raised complaints about the primaries citing irregularities. Nthabiseng Motswetla queried that given Tafas explanation in Francistown West there has been no withdrawal or no candidate has died and as such a re-run was suitable. If the party has borrowed it (re-run) from somewhere then it is in the party regulations and constitution. Now, it is our statement that there be a re-run, she said to a deafening applause from her supporters. Gilbert Boikhutso from Moselewapula ward accused the central committee of being anti-Moswaane. He said the party went into a mess while Tafa was there as its legal adviser. He told the meeting that Tafa lost all the court cases against the BDP and wondered if he (Tafa) was advising the party well. In response, Tafa explained that he had lost some cases and won some in the courts and that he existed as a good lawyer. Boikhutso turned his blazing guns on BDP secretary general Mpho Balopi whom he accused of costing the party a great deal in that he hid Marobelas appeal letter, forcing the BDP to incur unnecessary costs and inconvenience. Gaboinewe Keitseope told the rigid BDP leadership that the peoples vote is their voice and since they have voted Moswaane as their choice they have to be respected. She cited incidents in 2003 and 2008 in which Moswaane had won the party primaries and was forced into a re-run. There is evidence that Moswaane is wanted by the people but the party leadership does not want him. We want a re-run and not fresh primaries, she said. Moswaane who attended the weekend meeting told Mmegi in an interview dryly: If you remember very well on the day of nomination last November, I insisted that the party should secure a court order to release me and the party from the Marobela order. He is worried that failure by the party leadership to act promptly on issues has left the party interdicted permanently. I may not agree with Marobela on his claims but he has a right to seek redress. My biggest problem is that Marobela has a court order that quashed the BDPs purported hearing on his primary elections petition, said Moswaane. He is worried that if Marobela is not heard then it means that he will not stand for the general elections. His prayers are that the party should hear Marobela and thereby comply with the court order. Quizzed about the Sunday meeting, Balopi was upbeat that the meeting went well indicating that Tafa explained the legal processes to the people. The debate was there and sanity prevailed in the end with people now seeing the need for fresh elections, said Balopi. He dismissed reports that the BDP leadership had imposed a decision on the constituents. He said the entral committee had previously considered not to run primaries in Francistown West in the event that their candidate wins the by-election and this applies to the year in which the country holds general elections. By that, we are not suggesting that Moswaane is not a suitable candidate as some people think, explained Balopi. He stressed that the BDP leadership was aware that it was dealing with the emotions of people. My take is that Moswaane was going to win the by-election if he was given a chance. It is not true that the party harbours any intentions of vetting out Moswaane as we have no grounds to do that, Balopi said. On the issue of dissenting voices against a re-run, Balopi felt that BDP diehards in Francistown West were not privy to what the leaders know. As the party leadership, we plead with Moswaane to guide his supporters by telling them what the leadership has been doing and its commitment to them, observed Balopi. He wondered why Moswaane signed affidavits supporting the party case against Marobela and the party appeal cases as a respondent instead of allowing the leadership to listen to Marobelas appeal and allow primary elections re-run. He signed affidavits which opposed Marobelas submissions instead of advising the party leadership otherwise. He would have saved the party time and money instead, said Balopi. He said literally, the BDP went to court guided by Moswaane who denied claims of primary elections irregularities as cited by Marobela. - See more at: mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=6749#sthash.bUG5XE2Q.dpuf
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 10:05:57 +0000
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