More BDP mekoko sprout in Francistown

Maranyane Ngwanaamotho | Friday March 21, 2014 15:06

 

But yesterday, he said he will be a mekoko because he is unhappy with the way the party primaries were conducted. “There were a lot of irregularities at the primaries.

“For example, members of my opponent’s campaign team were on election day spotted purchasing alcohol and drinking with the presiding officer. To me, their interaction was unfair because the presiding officer could manipulate the voting process in favour of my opponent,” he said.

He mentioned this in his letter of protest to the party and demanded a re-run but he was not successful.

“That is one of the reasons why I am resigning from the BDP and contesting the general elections independently,” he explained.    

Moselewapula councillor, Johnson Moremi is also toying with the idea of quitting the ruling party and going solo at the general elections.

“I am yet to decide whether I should go independent or not. I will decide before the end of next week but going solo is something I am considering,” Moremi told Mmegi this week.

The grey-haired politician said that he is still consulting stakeholders in his ward and assessing the viability of contesting the elections independently.

Moremi also lost in the October 2013 BDP primaries for Moselewapula. He is unhappy with the conduct of the elections.

There have also been unconfirmed reports in the city that Raoboy Mpuang, who recently lost the BDP primary in the troubled Francistown West constituency is planning to quit and contest the Monarch North council seat as an independent. Mpuang is currently councillor for Monarch East. He re-joined the BDP from the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) last September. He was not available for comment at the time of going to press.

Yesterday BDP executive secretary, Sechele Sechele, said that he was not in a position to comment on Ntheetsang’s impending resignation or allegations that the party mishandled his protest.

“I will only be in a position to comment when Ntheetsang has communicated his resignation to the party,” he said.

Sechele declined to discuss reports that Mpuang and Moremi want to resign.

“I will also be wrong to comment about the other two councillors because none of them have officially expressed their desire to leave the party,” he said yesterday.

BMD councillor for Ipopeng ward Steven Michael, confirmed recently that he will contest the general elections solo after falling out with the party.