The BDP big fall-out
Staff Writer | Friday January 30, 2015 12:00
The ruling party is going for an elective congress in July this year to elect the party central committee. Only three party members, Ramadeluka Seretse, Tebelelo Seretse and Biggie Butale have shown interest in contesting for the chairmanship position. Masisi and Tshekedi have not declared interest yet, but the two men’s handlers are said to be working behind the scenes to convince the two men to contest.
According to sources while Tshekedi reluctantly accepted his brother’s decision to settle for Masisi as his deputy after the 2014 general elections, this time around the younger Khama has told his associates that he won’t support Masisi for the party’s second most powerful position.
Insiders say should Masisi declare interest, his boss would without doubt throw his weight behind him. Khama recently told the media that Masisi is his preferred successor to assume the reigns in 2018 when he retires from politics.
BDP Insiders are of the view that Khama, a lame duck president would not have the full support of everyone including Tshekedi his younger brother.
According to Tshekedi’s backers, while their man was slightly amenable to the idea of having Masisi as vice president, he is not convinced that he is the right person for the party chairmanship let alone presidency.
In view of this Tshekedi is seriously considering contesting for the chairmanship position or back his relative and ally Ramadeluka Seretse. Other sources say should Tshekedi choose to stand, Seretse (Ramadeluka) would pull out of the race to back him. “In fact the decision whether Tshekedi should stand for the chairmanship or not would be decided by the two men,” says a sources preferring not to be identified because he has not been permitted to talk to the media about BDP matters. Since December last year the ‘Tshekedi for Chairman Team’ has been hard at work, meeting regularly in various places around the country to drum up support for their man.
“Tshekedi has been approached to stand for the position. It is not clear whether he will stand, but he has promised to make a decision on the matter very soon. If he doesn’t stand we have no choice but to back Ndelu (Seretse),” says an active member of the team. This week Tshekedi confirmed to Mmegi that he is giving the issue a thought. He said he was approached by senior party members to stand for the position.
Frustrated Khama
As things stands, Tshekedi and Ramadeluka Seretse are obstacles in Khama’s succession plans. According to sources Khama is a frustrated man. His succession plans have been frustrated by circumstances beyond his control. First it was the loss of Ramadeluka Seretse during the BDP primaries and later Kitso Mokaila during the general elections.
Should Masisi fail to ascend to the chairmanship position, this would be another blow for President Khama’s succession plan, sources have said.
“In fact should Tshekedi or Seretse win the chairmanship position one of the two men may challenge him (Masisi) for the party presidency. Masisi does not have any solid base within the BDP, and chances are that he would perform dismally against either of the two men,” said a BDP operative close to both Tshekedi and Seretse (Ramadeluka).
Masisi’s lack of solid electoral base within the BDP is his main undoing according to sources. He is banking on Khama’s popularity within the BDP. “But it is also important to remember that Khama’s days at the helm of the party are numbered. So it’s dangerous if not suicidal to bank on his support. Without Khama, Masisi has no base of his own,” commented the insider.
With the emergence of the strong opposition, some BDP members are not convinced that Masisi is the right person to take them to the 2019 general elections.
Other BDP members view things differently. They say Festus Mogae did not have any political base but went on to become the country’s president. “All he needs to do is to be in the good books of his master and he will succeed him without a glitch. Remember the automatic succession clause in the constitution? That’s Masisi’s catch,” says a BDP MP sympathetic to Masisi.
The MP tells Mmegi that ideally Masisi as the incoming president should be at the helm of the party. “It would be extremely dangerous for the BDP to elect somebody other than Masisi to be the party chairman. As the vice president and incoming president he should be allowed to cement his base within the party to avoid rebellion in the future. Having TK as chairman and Masisi as vice president is dangerous. Masisi’s position would be undermined by the more popular TK,” said the MP proposing that the party should settle for Masisi as a compromise chairman to avoid unnecessary fights.
Would the candidates
make way for Masisi?
This week Tshekedi was noncommittal when asked whether he would back Masisi for the chairmanship position or not. Seretse (Ramadeluka) did not want to be drawn into discussing whether or not he would make way for Masisi should he (Masisi) declare his interest. “Talk to him first before asking me that question,” he said.
Another candidate Tebelelo Seretse fancies her chances, but sources say already there are those who want her to drop out of the race to make way for Masisi. Asked whether she would pull out of the race should Masisi show interest in the position, Seretse said she would decide as and when he (Masisi) makes the decision.
Another contestant Biggie Butale told Mmegi that he doesn’t necessarily want to stand against his vice president, “…if it comes to that point I would have to consult my supporters before taking any decision,” he said. Efforts to talk to Masisi were futile.