UDC constituency divisions deepen
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday April 9, 2014 16:33
Strong in their objections were especially the Mochudi and Francistown members who are said to have expressed their misgivings about the allocation of the constituencies between them and the BMD. They told the forum that they felt disadvantaged when constituencies were allocated.
The BNF, the BMD and BPP will be contesting the October general elections under the partnership of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
According to the sources that attended the Shoshong leadership forum, members from Mochudi West constituency want more than 60 percent of wards. The Mochudi West constituency has been allocated to the BMD, and the party legislator Gilbert Mangole is the UDC candidate in the October general elections. Some members feel that Mangole’s BMD is not visible on the ground compared to the older and more established BNF.
“We do not have a problem with working with the BMD but we want other things to be cleared. We do not have a problem with paving way to the BMD in wards where we see its existence. We feel there is need for primary elections in some wards to resolve this problem,” the source said.
In Francistown, the BNF members felt their partners have given them a raw deal. The BNF has been allocated only three wards in all the three Francistown constituencies. This, they believe, will kill the party existence in the second city of Botswana. The BMD has been allocated Francistown East and Francistown South while the BPP will contest the Francistown West constituency.
BMD’s secretary general, legislator Wynter Mmolotsi will defend Francistown South on a UDC ticket, while his party mate Teresa Mmolawa has been given Francistown East. Shathiso Tambula of the BPP, who lost Francistown West in the January by-elections to Botswana Congress Party’s Dr Habaudi Hobona, will once again try his luck.
Another contentious issue was the negotiations between the BNF and the current Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) MP in Tonota, Pono Moatlhodi. Both the BNF and Moatlhodi have confirmed that they are in negotiations for the latter to join the BNF and contest the October elections under the UDC. These negotiations have apparently divided the BNF in Tonota between those who are in favour of Moatlhodi and those aligned to Maokaneng Bontshetse. Bontshetse was the UDC candidate for the constituency, until the deputy Speaker came into the picture.
Apparently, Moatlhodi and other BDP councillors in the constituency who want to defect from their party have thrown the spanner in the works by demanding that the BNF parliamentary candidate and his team of councillors should pave way for them. These negotiations have not pleased some BNF diehard fans in the constituency who have threatened not to support Moatlhodi if the party accepts him. Reached for comment, the BNF spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa said all unresolved issues that were discussed at the leadership forum will be handled by secretary general Tapiso Kgosikoma. Kgosikoma is expected to visit all those constituencies this week together with other party leaders.
On other issues, the BNF members have asked party leadership to keep on updating them with the progress of their campaigns at Gaborone Bonnington North as it was important for the party president, Duma Boko, to win.