Finger pointing in BDP losses
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday February 3, 2015 15:42
The party lost all the three wards, Goodhope, Ngware, and Moshupa West, which went for a by-election over the weekend.
The re-run was done following the failure to secure a winner in last year’s October 24 general elections. The ruling party’s weekend poor performance has invited criticism from different members who accuse each other of failure to show commitment.
Although the three wards were held by opposition parties prior to the October general elections, the BDP has in the past managed to grab wards from the opposition.
The BDP parliamentary Chief Whip Fidelis Molao said he is very disappointed by his party’s performance.
“The BDP has been performing well in previous by-elections that were opposition areas. I think there is need for us to introspect in order to know what could have happened. The two opposition parties have managed to retain their wards with convincing margins. It is important that my party should go back to the drawing board,” Molao said.
A member of Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC) Ford Moiteela also shared his disappointment stating on social media that in all previous by-elections there was commitment from the party.
“At first the party used to show commitment by giving people who campaign resources such as food, fuel and even assign other areas to go and help in the campaigns. But this time things were different since I fuelled my own car to campaign at Ngware and Goodhope despite the fact that I am a PEEC member,” Moiteela said. He also took a swipe on their committee saying, “PEEC ga eo le ha ... Ke kopile gore e kopane, ke kopa ke ba ke gakolola ba ba maleba le ka jeno. ke ile Ngware le Goodhope ke itshelela jaaka modomi mongwe le mongwe ke se mo PEEC, (PEEC is not even here… I have asked that we meet to no avail. I had to fuel my vehicle to Ngware and Goodhope like ordinary BDP members)” he said.
BDP executive secretary Sechele Sechele, however, insisted the three wards were too difficult to capture. “Opposition parties have influence in those areas. I cannot comment on the past but the party will always do what it thinks is the best,” Sechele said.