A symbol of confusion
Isaiah Morewagae | Wednesday March 12, 2014 15:33
Following the Friday court ruling barring the BNF leadership from incorporating the party symbol in the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) one, the BNF Youth League secretary general, Arafat Khan went on social media stating that BNF president Duma Boko will address a press conference on the matter today (Wednesday).
Yesterday, BNF spokesperson, Moeti Mohwasa, however, told Mmegi that the party is still to meet to decide the way forward.
“The party is yet to meet and make a decision on the issue. That is when the party will map the way forward,” said the Mohwasa.
But, immediately after, a statement announcing the press conference, signed by Joyce Disoso of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), second partner in the UDC whose third party is the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP), was released. Disoso’s statement revealed that the press conference would be addressed by the UDC president Boko, secretary general Gomolemo Motswaledi and chairman Motlatsi Molapisi. On the agenda would be the symbol, manifesto and preparations for the general elections, stated Disoso.
Motswaledi and Motlatsi are presidents of BMD and BPP respectively.
Confusing matters further is that the venue of the press conference is the BMD offices, not BNF as would have been expected, as it was the most affected party in the symbol issue.
Pressed on the matter Mohwasa refused to give an explanation to his insistence that the BNF leadership has yet to discuss the court ruling.
UDC partners had initially intended to use an umbrella symbol incorporating emblems of the three parties, but had to suspend that when former BNF activists applied for a court interdiction. Then in December 2013, the UDC leadership registered a ‘temporary’ symbol with the Independent Electoral Commission – of an umbrella paneled with prime colours of the three parties – orange, black and gold, but without symbols. The intention then, according to Motswaledi, was if the court were to deny the applicants’ request, the UDC would de-register the plain colours and register the original one with party logos.
But on Friday, Justice Godfrey Nthomiwa of the Lobatse High Court curtailed those ideas, ruling that the BNF symbol of a golden key could not be used in the UDC or any political party one as per clause 1.4 of the party constitution.
dfrey Nthomiwa of the Lobatse High Court curtailed those ideas, ruling that the BNF symbol of a golden key could not be used in the UDC or any political party one as per clause 1.4 of the party constitution.