BDP worried by the declining fortunes
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday August 15, 2014 14:07
Apparently, this has a potential of eroding the already dwindling fortunes as the ruling party’s popular vote has been in decline for sometime now due to an array of factors.
The leader of the BDP and state President Ian Khama and his lieutenants are reportedly deeply worried about this state of affairs. Khama, the BDP’s chief campaigner and his team have lately been holding ‘crisis’ meetings to come up with strategies to save their party ahead of the polls billed for October.
The BDP’s first step to counter their challenges was to recently appoint a national campaign manager, a position created outside the party’s existing structures. A peep through the past results of the Legislative elections from independence reflect that the ruling party’s popular vote has been swinging like a pendulum with a pattern reflecting a notable decline. In 1965 the BDP’s popular vote stood at 80.4 percent, 1969(68.4 percent), 1974(percent), 1979 (75.4 percent), 1984 (68.0 percent), 1989(64.84 percent), 1994 (53.1 percent), 1999 (57.15 percent), 2004 (51.73 percent) and 2009 (53.26 percent).
Lately, the party’s inner democracy has been invaded by a reality that people are unable to express themselves freely because their conversations are reportedly listened to. There is an old circulating rumour within the BDP that Khama reportedly has a tendency of unleashing the state machinery like the use of the Directorate on Intelligence (DIS) sleuths to eavesdrop on the activities of some select party members. In fact, even when people are willing to indulge in any form of discourse, they will shy away, fearing that there is an invisible third man’s hand somewhere.
But the DIS Director General, Isaac Kgosi has incessantly dismissed this view, as the figment of people’s imaginations insisting that there was no element of truth in such allegations.
Even the BDP dismissed the people’s fears as merely an attempt to demonise the party leader, Khama, who is a retired army commander.
However, there is a general belief that some BDP diehards are unable to freely and openly express themselves. This interferes with people’s democratic rights. There is also a general fear that the BDP is parading a majority of new faces as its candidates in this year’s general elections with a lot of them seemingly advancing their personal issues at the expense of the people they represent.
Recently, the BDP instructed its parliamentary candidates not to take part in the private radio station, Gabz Fm parliamentary debate that raises a suspicion that the ruling party has doubts about the calibre of its candidates.
The party prefers its candidates to feature on the state-controlled Radio Botswana One (RB 1) station debates, which they feel, will always have a soft spot for the ruling party candidates.
Close to 60 percent of the BDP candidates at both parliament and council are newcomers and inexperienced in matters of politics, which raises doubts of quality representation.
The BDP leadership is still reeling in worrying Bulela Ditswe primary elections shock which has seen a high number of losing candidates resigning from the BDP either standing as independent candidates or crossing the floor to the opposition parties. A good number of disillusioned politicians, who tried their luck in the BDP Bulela Ditswe primaries last year and lost, now face their former party either as independents or opposition candidates. Although the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) has not taken a deliberate stand on which party to vote for in the impending general elections slated for October, there is a general lobby to vote in favour of the opposition UDC. Johnson Motshwarakgole, one of BOFEPUSU leaders has been a regular at the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) functions at the invitation of the tri-party coalition partners of Botswana National Front (BNF), Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) and Botswana Peoples Party (BPP).
Although initially there seemed to be controversy in Motshwarakgole’s position that civil servants should vote ‘properly’ meaning that they should vote for the UDC, last week Friday, he repeated his call for civil servants to vote for the tri-party coalition. At the late former secretary general of UDC and president of Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) Motshwarakgole reminded civil servants to honour Motswaledi by voting for the UDC. It’s apparent that Motshwarakgole as a seasoned trade unionist continues to take advantage of the reality that the public servants have issues with the employer which they strongly feel to settle such differences it only requires a change of government.
On May 1 this year, BOFEPUSU members commemorated the Labour Day under the theme: “Unleashing progressive labour agenda through regime change” although it created divisions between members. In some areas, the theme was altered to read: “ Unleashing progressive labour agenda.” But, in any case, the message had hit home.
It’s this level of consciousness among the public servants and a consistent anti-government lobby that continue to send shivers down the spines of the ruling elite. It’s no longer a given that public servants will remain loyal to the ruling party as it was probably the case a few years ago. Things are changing, and in some cases for the worst.
In the past, it was easy to talk about loyal BDP constituencies and creation of safe voting blocks, which are very important for party planning purposes. But, it seems these are things of the past as it’s not easy to simply map up which areas are easily winnable. Now, with a lot of veterans having lost the party primaries and replaced by novices, it creates another challenge for the BDP candidates.
It goes without saying that if the opposition can do well in the impending general elections, President Khama might face a challenge of identifying a very strong frontbench to counter the development. It seems the BDP is headed for trouble.
Speaking to University of Botswana political scientist, Professor Emmanuel Botlhale this week says in essence if the reports that the BDP diehards are unable to express themselves feely because their conversations are being listened to, that reflects a sense of insecurity whether they are true or perceived. “In reality, it means there is a problem if people’s conversations are listened to by the authorities,” declares the UB academic and observes that the development does not add value to democracy.
“Whether real or perceived, all the same it means there is a problem. Ideally, people have to be free as democracy is about dialogue or engaging in issues.” Prof. Botlhale notes that if internal debate is stifled then the development is not good for internal democracy both inside the party and at national level.
“In fact, the victim here is democracy as BDP is a player within the democratic set up,” he analyses. He holds a view that to do well in the elections a party has to have a good balance of both old and new parliamentary and council hopefuls. He says a situation where all the party candidates are new kids on the block can prove to be a bit difficult.
“The need to infuse new blood within a good balance of old and experienced members as institutional memory is vital,” he says. He borrowed a Setswana saying that, “Letlhaku le lesha le agelwa mo go le legologolo.” He is also worried by battles between BOFEPUSU and the government saying the spectacle is uncalled for.
“The way things are, it’s not good as the implication is that people are angry at each other. It requires maturity and tolerance from both sides,” Botlhale observes. He adds that primarily the duties of trade unions entails amongst others workers welfare and workers rights and insists that trade unionists should stay away from partisan politics.
“Trade unionists should stay away from partisan politics and delve in workers rights or welfare.” He fears that partisan politics can divide membership because they come from different political organisations, “rather they should choose civil engagement.” As regards the loss of loyal constituencies or voting blocks, Prof. Botlhale warned against the danger of people believing in an individual more than the party ideology and instead he advises people to work towards striking a balance between the party and an individual. Defending his party, BDP’s national campaign manager, Alec Seametso strongly insists that in the BDP, people are able to freely express themselves through the established structures. He was however, worried that in the streets there are people who want to portray President Khama as an intolerable leader. “Ba re tautona o bosilo which is not true,” he declares amid giggles.
“Consultation processes and freedom of expression which are tenets of democracy are part of our processes in the BDP,” he notes.
In the BDP the party has structures from ward, region up to the Central committee level of the party to deal with internal party matters,” Seametso reminds Doubting Thomases. He says the party has since appointed the national campaign manager who is not in the party structures to deal with campaign issues nationally.
As regards the use of DIS in internal party issues, Seametso feels that people have a tendency of relying on street talk rather than official set ups. He insists that party operatives are very free.
“BDP members will not raise such claims that the DIS is listening to them at all. That is not true,” he denies the claims. He acknowledges that about 60 percent of the party hopefuls at both council and parliament will be contesting for the first time.
“Even veterans started somewhere. I have been attending launches of candidates and the BDP continues to unearth talent and I can tell you to watch the space.” He claims that the party candidates might be new but they are capable people and are trustworthy.
He oozes confidence that the party candidates will prove their worth at the right time. “I am satisfied with the candidates including the new comers as this shows that the BDP has a wide pool of people to select from,” he says arguing that there is no one who was born a politician.
As regards Bulela Ditswe troubles, he says the party has acknowledged that there was some trouble post the party primary elections.
“Primary election losers were hurt but they were taken through counseling to console them as we cannot all be winners.” Seametso declares proudly that the BDP political train is engaged on its journey to victory and encouraged interested parties not to miss a seat. He encourages BDP members to appreciate that they have been brought together by organisational principles, programmes and ideology and encouraged them not to allow opportunistic developments to break them up.
Seametso says public servants continue to respect the laws of the country and his party regards them as important stakeholders.
“In Botswana, voting is done secretly and there is nowhere it can done by a group of people. In my understanding public servants are apolitical and we can’t start involving them in politics.”
He stresses that the BDP treats public servants with respect and therefore, expects them to play their part in choosing a government of their choice as individuals.
“As the BDP, we are not going to engage public servants basing on the issues that are being discussed around.”