BDP members want more powers for Khama
Chakalisa Dube | Tuesday April 1, 2014 11:56
The Francistown region chair, Ford Moiteela yesterday told Mmegi that they feel that Khama would be impartial when selecting a team that presides over elections’ appeals.
He said the decision, taken at the region’s meeting in Tonota on Saturday, would be presented as a motion to party’s special congress this coming weekend.
“If we say that a congress or central committee should select those who should preside over primary election appeals we risk selecting a section of individuals who will be impartial.
“With the president it is better because our view is that he is usually not embroiled in party wrangles.
“He will not have a problem when it comes to selecting a balanced team that will preside over primary elections’ cases,” Moiteela said.
He added that currently the BDP did not have a committee devoted to dealing with electionss’ appeals.
“The committee that presided over primaries elections appeals recently was selected by the central committee as a matter of urgency. It is not supported by the constitution.
“That is why we want a committee that will be devoted to dealing with primary elections protests.
“It will be supported by party regulations,” Moiteela said.
The region has also endorsed Khama as a presidential candidate in the October general elections.
Moiteela said the region would also sponsor a motion that will seek the voters’ rolls released by the party elections’ board prior to primaries to be self-explanatory.
“Some names are usually omitted from the voters’ rolls despite people maintaining that they registered to vote at the primary elections.
“We want the voters’ rolls to be clear in cases where there are reasons for such omissions and other decisions made by the board with relations to the status of the voters to avoid confusion,” Moiteela explained.
The Francistown region would also want primary election protesters to pay a certain fee.
“Presiding over primary elections’ appeals costs the party a greater amount of resources.
We want the fees to cover such costs. Also the fees will curb instances where cases that have limited chances of success being submitted to the party.
“With money involved people will be forced to thoroughly consider their decision before submitting their appeal applications.
“If they know that there are limited chances of success they won’t risk paying to appeal,” said Moiteela.