BDP shuts door on 'mekoko'

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday February 12, 2014 20:20

 

The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has told members who leave to contest elections as independent candidates (mekoko) that they will never be readmitted to the party if they seek to come back.

Yesterday during the BDP Parliamentary Caucus, the party secretary general, Mpho Balopi told the legislators that the central committee recently took a decision never to readmit the independents. Reports say the BDP feels that such members are taking the party for granted and can no longer be allowed to do as they please in pursuit of self-interest.

The MPs who lost in the party primaries were requested to cooperate with the winners. They were advised to revive party structures in their areas and to ensure that the party wins the forthcoming general elections.

The BDP is talking tough when many members are still aggrieved by the way the party handled their cases challenging the primary elections results. The members feel that they were cheated during the primaries. Some MPs including councillors are toying with the idea of contesting the general elections as independent candidates while others might join opposition parties.

Mmegi is reliably informed that a former cabinet minister in the southern region who lost in the BDP primaries is thinking about becoming an independent candidate. There is already talk that the Botswana Congress party (BCP) has made overtures to him.

The politician declined to talk to Mmegi about his plans but it is understood that his supporters are busy organising independent council candidates who will contest elections under his patronage. Already two councillors are scheduled to resign from BDP by next week in his constituency.