The challenges of Bulela Ditswe
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday September 1, 2023 10:07
Over the past weekends, the party’s regional congresses have been grappling over whether or not party primary elections known as Bulela Ditswe should be held in constituencies where the BDP is incumbent. While some regions strongly advocate the democratic process to take course, on the other hand, there are those who feel the party cannot afford to enter into divisive primaries months before the 2024 General Election. Among the regions pushing for the primaries are Gaborone, South East and Kweneng. One of the participants at the Gaborone regional congress at the Rainbow Primary School was overheard saying: “Primaries are there to enhance inner-party democracy. All of us here occupied offices through the vote. Primary elections must be held. What is it that some people are fearing? Why should members compromise when they can elect their own preferred candidates? Sometimes voters punish us for opting for compromise when they wanted a different person to represent them.” But Mmegi understands that some regions in the north hold a different position. “Their argument is that primary elections do contribute a lot to their divisions during polls. Therefore, the party should minimise all things that could bring divisions among members in the constituencies. Their fear is that the party should not downplay the fact that opposition parties are strong in some of the constituencies even if they are divided,” a source had said.
Some BDP members strongly believe that there is not enough time to allow the process to run smoothly since it has its own challenges. However, the BDP secretary-general, Kavis Kario confirmed that Tsholetsa House has received motions that will be debated at the party national council. “I cannot remember the number of the motions but all those were coming from our regions. All the 14 regions have managed to hold their congresses. Those motions will be debated and some will be passed while some might be rejected. It does not mean that all motions that were passed at the regional congress automatically will go through to extraordinary congress or special congress. There is nothing wrong with BDP members engaging and expressing their views. The truth about our members is that we debate issues in-house. If we agree on the matter, we all support the matter,” Kario said.
He further said those motions that will be agreed upon at the national council will be taken to the extraordinary congress for approval. He said resolutions taken by the congress are the ones that would be adopted by the party. The party secretary-general said it would be up to the congress to agree on whether to suspend Bulela Ditswe or not. Kario said it would be shocking for the party to take a resolution to suspend Bulela Ditswe when it had been practising it for 20 years. He stressed that Bulela Ditswe enhances inner party democracy by allowing party members to choose a person they believe could be the party candidate. The party leader said Bulela Ditswe has an appeals committee to deal with issues raised by those who feel strongly aggrieved by the process during elections. He said their internal elections are free and fair hence those who have complaints before elections, such complaints are heard. He, however, said members would come out from the congress more united since they know the importance of working together and cooperating as the year of general election approaches. He also encouraged party members to always put the party first over their interests. He admitted that Bulela Ditswe might have its own challenges but there are things that have been improved and it could still be done better. On other issues, Kario said members must also think of strategies that they would put forward that could help the party to win elections. Recently, party president Mokgweetsi Masisi informed his members at a rally in Shoshong that he wanted the party's popular vote to increase to 70 or 80%.
He told BDP diehards that they should recruit new party members and approach those who had defected to opposition parties to come back to the BDP. “We have to win more constituencies in the 2024 General Election. Our party can do better. We need all of our members who defected to opposition parties to come back to their party. I want us to win even opposition held constituencies.” He also said those Members of Parliament who are not attending party activities or helping their constituents with resources to attend party events will be punished by the voters during Bulela Ditswe. He had lately also made it open that his party is going to Bulela Ditswe and party members would choose a candidate they want to represent them. He further warned some party members to stop campaigning using his name. The BDP started its primary elections Bulela Ditswe process in 2003 after the members felt that the old process which by then they were using was undemocratic. By then, the BDP was using a Committee of 18 to select preferred candidates, as members were allowed to submit their names if they wished to contest. Then, a Committee of 18 would vet out those whom they believed were the best or could represent the party better. The members' complaints then, was that the Committee of 18, was biased and only their friends were being selected to contest for elections. Therefore, the party members made a proposal that members must be allowed to elect their preferred candidate through a ballot, hence the name Bulela Ditswe. The members felt that the process was much better compared to the old system. While the new system was welcomed by many with open hands, in 2014 and 2018, some party members through the same forum of the national council, complained that the same system is being abused by some and it has its own challenges. By then, the members requested that research be made on how it could be developed better or improved so that elections become free and fair.
During the Gaborone regional congress, some party members brought a motion that the process of primary elections be handled only by the electoral board, not the Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC). They want the PEEC to focus on political education only. Some BDP members' contention is that PEEC members are conflicted as the majority of them want to contest primary elections as well. Currently, the BDP constitution allows the electoral board to work hand in hand with PEEC for the purposes of appointing election officers and conducting of elections.