BDP members forfeited rights at 41st elective congress
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday May 26, 2025 16:22
While the congress was convened under the authority of the former president, who had rightfully used his powers to call for an elective meeting the proceedings deviated from the expected agenda. Originally, the congress was planned solely for elections. However, the outgoing Central Committee opted to incorporate a closed session to present key reports, a component traditionally reserved for a normal congress. During the closed session, significant presentations were made. The then-secretary-general, Ngaka Ngaka, delivered the “State of the party” report, outlining the current standing and internal affairs of the BDP.
In addition, the then deputy treasurer-general Jagdish Shah presented the party’s financial report, shedding light on the financial health and past expenditures. These reports, by nature, demanded scrutiny, reflection, and, most importantly, robust engagement from the delegates.However, what unfolded next was a missed opportunity of great consequence. Instead of interrogating the content of the critical reports as per their constitutional right, members chose to shift their attention prematurely toward the commencement of the elections.
There was a clear lack of engagement or accountability-seeking, despite the platform having been made available. The urgency to elect new leaders seemingly overshadowed the responsibility to hold the outgoing leadership accountable. This oversight is more significant than it may initially appear. The BDP constitution empowers members to cross-examine office bearers presenting reports on the congress floor.
This mechanism is central to maintaining transparency and ensuring that leadership actions align with the party’s vision and rules. Yet, in this instance, that constitutional provision was effectively ignored. Moreover, while the formal handover of responsibilities to the new central committee is scheduled for June 2, 2025, members have forfeited any practical opportunity to seek clarity from the outgoing leadership. After the transition, questions about previous decisions, financial matters, or policy directions will become increasingly difficult if not impossible to address.
The new committee cannot reasonably be expected to answer for actions and decisions taken before their term began.
Consequently, members find themselves in a position where they can no longer demand explanations or hold anyone accountable for past actions. Some things that members fail to cross examine include, the outcome of engaged adhoc committees to review the electoral strategies and provide actionable insights, the recommendations made by an engaged independent analyst to review the electoral strategies who provided actionable insights and the outcome of 14 regional consultative meetings by previous committee.
The members failed even to question the money alleged to have been used during preparations and even on elections. The members understood that the party had used over P1.5 million and members were requested to start paying their subscription fees as the party has debts and the secretariat to pay. So far, the BDP has few properties that it is renting out. However, the BDP secretary-general Kentse Rammidi said: “Things will normalise. This was the first congress of its kind. The mood was just to elect new members of central committee but members had the right to interrogate the reports.”