BDP meet could curtail presidential powers
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday August 31, 2026 06:00
Mmegi has learnt that the party’s executive secretary has received a number of submissions proposing amendments to the constitution, with some members calling for the powers of the party president to be revisited. Sources say the proposed amendments have been submitted by both individual members and party structures. Amongst the issues attracting particular attention is the role of the party president in disciplinary proceedings. One source stated that some members are concerned that the president has excessive powers when dealing with disciplinary matters. As a result, the members want the BDP constitution amended to ensure that disciplinary processes are handled independently and transparently. “Members believe that the party president abuses such powers and at the end, it makes the disciplinary committee irrelevant,” said a source familiar with the developments. If adopted, the concerns could result in a significant change to BDP’s internal disciplinary architecture, particularly regarding the balance of authority between the party president and disciplinary structures.
BDP executive secretary, Ame Makoba, confirmed in an interview on Tuesday that the party has received submissions from both individuals and structures proposing changes to the constitution. However, he stressed that the process was being driven by the party’s constitutional procedures and that the proposals would have to undergo the required internal consultations before any amendment could be adopted. “It is true, individuals and party structures have written to the party proposing for the constitution to be amended. Remember, we could not hold it if members and structures did not do so,” Makoba stated. The executive secretary said the BDP has received many letters and was preparing to send the proposed amendments to the relevant structures for discussion.
“We have received a lot of letters and we are about to send them to structures to debate those branches for discussions, as the constitution stipulates,” he added. Information gathered by Mmegi shows the party has received close to 30 submissions, although the exact number and contents of all the proposals could not be independently verified. Nevertheless, the number indicates that there is growing interest amongst members in reviewing aspects of the party’s constitution. The proposed changes will now have to go through a lengthy internal process before they can become part of the party’s governing framework. The BDP constitution provides for branches and regions to consider proposed amendments before they are taken to the national level. In particular, the constitution requires each branch and region to hold a congress to, amongst other matters, consider proposed constitutional amendments in preparation for the national council.
Furthermore, Clause 42.1.5 of the BDP constitution provides that each proposed amendment shall be read at the next meeting of the council but shall not be debated at that stage, although it may be clarified or explained. The proposals must subsequently be placed on the agenda of the next congress. Importantly, however, an amendment can only be adopted if it receives the required level of support from the party’s national congress. Additionally, the constitution states that a proposed amendment must be accepted and approved by no less than two-thirds of the members of the national congress present and voting. Therefore, while the current submissions could signal growing dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the party’s internal governance, they do not necessarily mean that changes to presidential powers are imminent. Instead, the proposals are likely to trigger discussions across the party’s structures as members debate whether the current constitutional provisions remain appropriate.
The question of presidential powers is particularly significant as disciplinary procedures are central to maintaining order and enforcing the party’s constitution. At the same time, concerns over the concentration of disciplinary authority raise questions about the independence and effectiveness of other party structures. For members calling for reforms, limiting the president’s role could strengthen the disciplinary committee and ensure that disciplinary matters are determined through structures rather than being perceived as resting heavily on one office.
However, any changes will ultimately depend on the strength of support for the proposals across the party’s structures and, most importantly, at the national congress. As the proposals are circulated to branches and regions, members will have an opportunity to scrutinise the suggested changes, debate their implications and determine whether they deserve to proceed to the National Council and eventually the National Congress. For now, the submissions have opened a fresh conversation within the BDP over the distribution of power, presidential authority and the effectiveness of its internal disciplinary mechanisms.
Furthermore, the constitution states that only amendments complying with this procedure, or variations thereof arising in the course of debate, may be made. The constitutional congress for the former ruling party is expected to be held in October in Gaborone.