Pheto laments lack of democracy at BDP
Oarabile Mosikare | Wednesday April 16, 2014 11:58
Amongst the attendees were Botswana Democratic Party BDP) strongman and Member of Parliament for Molepolole South Daniel Kwelagobe, Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) secretary for labour Johnson Motshwarakgole and Lentsweletau-Mmopane Botswana Congress Party (BCP) parliamentary candidate Phagenyane Phage. The press conference also attracted elderly men and women, youth and former BDP members who claimed they have resigned from their former party.
Pheto who resigned from the BDP last week Thursday, said he invited all the political parties to attend the press conference.
“We are all Batswana and politics should not divide us,” he said.
He explained that BDP members were leaving the party because they were denied the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidates. He said the BDP primary elections were full of irregularities and were fraudulent.
“Some candidates appealed to the party leadership but they never received any response.”
While some membership cards that were reported to have been retrieved form a certain homestead in Gaphatshwa, Pheto said the BDP ignored their appeal.
He wondered why Boteti East was granted a re-run after the elections were declared irregular and the same was not granted to their constituency.
Pheto, who once served in President Festus Mogae Cabinet, said following the frustrations with the Bulela Ditswe outcome and the appeals process, concerned elders at the Lentsweletau-Mmopane constituency approached him to stand as an independent MP to safeguard democracy.
The retired Botswana Defence Force Major General who also served in the diplomatic service before entering politics more than 10 years ago, said the BDP has changed.
To him, things took a different turn after the Maun congress last year when “tenderpreneurs were elected as BDP central committee members at the expense of grassroots politicians. I dumped BDP heartbroken and the same applies to my comrades.”
Pheto explained that this was not an easy decision as he took his time to reflect. He is now going full steam against the man he lost to in the primaries, newly appointed Acting Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Vincent Seretse.