PEEC nullifies Molepolole branch congress elections
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Sunday March 17, 2024 21:01
The party’s Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC) declared the branch congress elections ‘null and void’ due to complaints about the outgoing branch committee violating the party constitution.
This decision has sparked controversy, leaving members with more questions than answers.
The incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Oarabile Regoeng, will face a challenge from Bashi Kgakge in the upcoming party primary elections. There appears to be tension between the two contenders, with a source revealing that Regoeng is backed by more councillors, while Kgakge is supported by a minority.
“Some of Regoeng’s supporters are the ones who wrote a complaint to the PEEC and the party secretary-general because they had lost elections at lower structures.
They were going to lose even at the branch level because they did not win to be delegates at the congress. Even if Regoeng has councillors, it is easy for him to lose control of the structures,” the source told Mmegi.
The source suggested that Regoeng lacks strong supporters, making it challenging for him to win party structures in his constituency. On the other hand, some of Kgakge’s supporters complained that Regoeng is being favoured because he is a member of the party’s central committee (CC).
Concerned members felt that the party could have heard another side of the story rather than deciding after listening to one side. The party branch is responsible for vetting and making recommendations to the CC. The BDP’s PEEC chairperson, Alec Seametso, explained that they rejected the delegates chosen at the small structures because proper procedure was not followed.
He emphasised the importance of adhering to the party constitution during the sensitive period of elections.
Seametso said complaints arose from members who felt the constitutional process was not followed, prompting an investigation. The outcome revealed that indeed proper procedure was not followed.
“This is a sensitive period of elections, and members must adhere to what the party constitution says. Cell congress should be supervised by the ward committee, while ward congress should be supervised by the branch committee. Delegates for the branch congress should be chosen at these congresses, and the branch congress is also supervised by the region, as stipulated in the party constitution,” Seametso explained in an interview.
He said the complaints arose from members who felt the constitutional process was not followed, and therefore, they carried out an investigation on the matter. Seametso said the outcome of the investigation revealed that indeed proper procedure was not followed. He said one of the purposes of his committee is to ensure that structures are formed properly, and the constitutional process is followed.
The PEEC chairperson said his committee intervened in the differences that some had, and its purpose is to protect the integrity of the party.
“We want free and fair elections at the end of the day. That is why we emphasise that a PEEC member must be there when some elections are being held to avoid complaints and to ensure the party processes are followed,” he said.
Seametso said all these congresses at different layers of party structures would be held this week since time is not on their side. The PEEC chairperson said they would do so after engaging with the relevant people to make sure that everything is done transparently. He said only the branch congress would be held on Saturday.
Furthermore, Seametso pointed out that it was not only his committee that had received the complaints and made investigations, as the party secretary-general Kavis Kario’s office also received one. He said Kario’s office had responded to them by nullifying the election of the branch committee, which was chosen; hence the PEEC also intervened. He said if the due process had been followed then, PEEC could not have intervened, nor the secretary-general’s office.