No plan to expel MPs – BCP
Mompati Tlhankane | Tuesday June 7, 2022 06:00
“The BCP does expect its cadres, especially those in leadership, to be disciplined and to respect party decisions appropriately taken by the relevant structures. Members who defy party decisions will be first counselled and advised to abide. Failing which, appropriate disciplinary structures will act as required,” she explained.
The BCP has always maintained that it will not take action against the Members of Parliament (MP) because no democratic party will take action against a member for following their conscience in what is a manifestly difficult decision.
The matter has been weighing heavily on the party for weeks since the Bophirima ward by-election. It is said that the BCP executive committee is contemplating expelling defiant MPs. It all started when the MPs refused to assist the party with campaigns in Bophirima ward, a by-election BCP eventually lost to the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
It is reported that post the by-election, the MPs also do not agree with the party’s impending decision of pulling out of the UDC coalition. The MPs who might face the chop include Kenny Kapinga, Dithapelo Keorapetse, Never Tshabang, David Tshere and Onneetse Ramogapi.
The aforementioned were against the BCP central committee’s decision to field its preferred candidate Peter Mogapi with the party’s name, symbol, and colours during Bophirima by-election.
It is said the BCP has since grown tired of the legislators who are now labelled as sympathisers of UDC president Duma Boko. What angers the BCP leadership most is that the MPs side with the very same Boko they are complaining about. The BCP president Dumelang Saleshando, who also happens to be Boko’s right hand man at the UDC, has always made it clear that Boko’s administration is riddled with poor governance. Even though Pheko denies that the party is fed up with insubordinate MPs, some of the BCP MPs were reportedly removed from one of the party’s WhatsApp group.
The leadership is said to have gone further to sideline the MPs on a number of party activities. Speaking of activities, the BCP celebrated its Bobirwa constituency victory outside the opposition coalition’s colours recently.
Asked if the Bobirwa celebration was an indicator that the BCP is slowly pulling away from the UDC, Pheko clarified that the party is a member of the Umbrella in good standing and nothing has changed.
“All members of the UDC coalition were invited to the celebrations including other opposition parties of AP [Alliance for Progressives] and BPF [Botswana Patriotic Front],” she said.