Not in my name – Masisi
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday June 21, 2022 06:00
Speaking at a well-attended Women’s Wing congress in Kanye over the weekend, Masisi warned those who seek party positions not to use his name.
“Ga ke ise ke rome ope kana ga ke a roma ope.
Ope a seka a re a batla maemo mo parting a dirisa leina lame kana a re party leadership e mo romile. Ba ke ba romang ke a bua, le ko central committee ke a ba bua,” he said.
Masisi said all those members who are doing that must stop this tendency and campaign without having to drag the party leadership into their campaign.
On party issues, he told members that he is concerned about the behaviour of some members who found it necessary to petition the party at the height of the pandemic, demanding their salaries be increased while they knew that the country was having a financial crisis due to COVID-19.
He said some members ignore the party manifesto to put their interests first when Batswana and the country are in trouble.
“Even opposition party members were shocked by how some of our members were behaving during that difficult time. It was not only councillors alone even some of the MPs were involved. I am worried that some people are putting their selfish interests first,” he said.
“I am aware of what happened at the council chairperson’s elections.
I want to urge members to put the party first. I am very impressed by the Women’s Wing theme; ‘Our Empowerment, Our Unity, Our Victory #2024, Our President, Our Pride #2028’. We can achieve all these if we are united and indeed together we can win.”
He told members that the party cannot survive without volunteers. Masisi said it is time BDP increase its popular vote by 60% or 70%.
On the constitutional review matter, Masisi said women must advocate for ways in which their numbers could be increased in Parliament and councils and that there should be a clause in the Constitution that addresses the increase of Specially Elected legislators but it should be specific on the percentage or number of women that should be taken into those positions.
He also asked them not to support the direct election of the President as the current system works well for the country.
Masisi said women should not exclude youth when requesting for change of certain clauses in the Constitution as that could also help to attract youth to the party.
O the delimitation issue, the President has revealed that the constituencies will be increased by four from 57 to 61. However, he had asked BDP members to attend kgotla meetings to help the delimitation commission on which areas need extra constituencies.
“You must play a role in this process and you should not let opposition members dictate you in kgotla meetings. The role of Batswana is to tell the [delimitation] commission the areas where they believe extra constituencies are really needed looking at the population,” he said.