New deadline for BDP appeals

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday January 22, 2014 17:12

The committee took this decision yesterday, giving the appeals committee up to Sunday to have heard all the appeals.

The appeals process was supposed to have been concluded on January 18. Because some appellants failed to follow party procedure, the committee was forced to return some to the region for further investigations. The committee has before it 108 cases. Yesterday the BDP secretary general Mpho Balopi told Mmegi that for now they have heard 80 percent of the appeals.

The remaining are ones sent back to regions and those needing further investigations.

In a letter to regions and appellants dated January 21, Balopi states; “Kindly note that these hearings will be the final hearings before recommendations are made to the central committee and will be closed sessions, that is to say that access will be restricted to affected and/or interested parties only and that the affected parties are to bring all their evidence and/or witnesses to these hearings as scheduled.”

 

The new schedule is;

*   January 23, 2014- Bomase Region (9am)

*   January 24, 2014 -Gaborone Region  (2pm)   -Southern Region  (9 am)

*   January 25, 2014 - Kweneng Region  (9am)                    

*   January 26, 2014  - Francistown     (9 am)

 

Balopi said the reason why they had to reschedule new dates for Bulela-Ditswe is because some complaints were not coming for hearings due to certain reasons.

He said they are also waiting for reports from all retaining officers, as they will be using them to determine verdict for all cases.

Balopi said they were forced to give regional committees time to conclude with the referred cases.

He said the challenge of the appeals committee was from the appellants who kept on requesting for postponement of cases.

One of the cases that had been postponed several times is that of Francistown East where the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, who is also constituency legislator, Phandu Skelemani had protested against Buti Billy’s win.