BMD ignorant of Cllr's resignation
Chakalisa Dube | Thursday March 13, 2014 17:29
However, Michael maintains that he resigned from the party and will be contesting the next general elections as an independent candidate.
“I quit the BMD more than a month ago because I felt I could not represent my people better while I was still with the party. I am comfortable working on my own.
“I am already campaigning for the general elections,” he said.
Interestingly Michael did not write a resignation letter as per norm in politics when one quits a party.
“I did not have any reason to do that (offer resignation). I have not been working with the party for some time and my non-participation in party activities is a sign that I am not with the party”.
However, Mmegi has leant that Michael left the party after the realisation that he would be challenged by Thabo Muhurutshane in the primary elections to qualify candidacy for Ipopeng ward at the general elections.
It has emerged that Michael wanted to contest the general elections without going for the primaries, something which the party deemed undemocratic since Muhurutshane had expressed a wish to contest.
Michael defeated Muhurutshane at the 2008 Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primary elections before both quit the ruling party for the BMD in 2010.
Michael dismissed the allegations maintaining that he felt he could do better representing Ipopeng ward independently.
The Francistown Regional leader Shadrack Nyeku maintained that Michael is still their member.
“I recently heard that Michael has quit the party through the grapevine, but he has not informed the BMD officially that he has quit the party.
Until he officially resigns from the party we still treat him as our member in full standing,” the former city mayor said.
Nyeku also confirmed that Michael did not want to take part in the party primaries against Muhurutshane.
“But if the party does not hold primaries to protect an individual who does not want to be challenged it would be an insult to the ideals of democracy,” Nyeku said. Michael’s political affiliation has been the subject of speculation.
Late last year the former barber was linked with a move back to his former party, the ruling BDP but he remained mum on the speculation.