BDP chair rivals decry Masisi �bias�
Onalenna Kelebeile | Tuesday May 12, 2015 18:03
SELEBI-PHIKWE: The fact that Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi was slotted into the programme for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) central regional meeting held in Serowe on Saturday has not gone down well with his opponents in the party.
Rivals for the BDP chairmanship are pointing accusing fingers at the regional chairman for allegedly favouring Masisi at their expense in terms of time allocation at the weekend meeting at Masokola Primary School.
Tebelelo Seretse, one of the candidates for the chairmanship, said they were given only five minutes each “as compared to Masisi’s 30 minutes” to talk. She said that the explanation they received was that Masisi had requested (more time) “while we did not”.
“We are not familiar with a situation where party structures become involved in campaigns,” Seretse said.
“That is why committee members are expected to recuse themselves to avoid conflict of interest. “Party structures should not be seen to be campaigning for any candidate. It was the first time for me to see a party structure actively involved in the campaigns. That was improper for the regional committee and it set a bad precedence.”
Seretse said the regional committee should have notified all candidates in the chairmanship race to campaign for themselves.
She added that the meeting did not even constitute a forum because some constituencies like Boteti were not represented.
“If it was a complete regional meeting, how did Masisi become aware of it and became part of it? The meeting was not correctly constituted and allowing candidates to campaign in regional meetings just sets an inappropriate precedent,” Seretse said.
The former US envoy added that the whole affair was “just unfair”, as all candidates could have availed themselves had they known the meeting could be used to campaign. She said one chairmanship hopeful, Dithapelo Tshotlego, who stays in Palapye and Moemedi Dijeng, who was in Serowe for a funeral, were unavailable.
“Those of us who managed to get there were just exercising the protocol to show face when the VP is in the area,” she said.
Another chairmanship candidate, Ramadeluka Seretse said he went to the meeting only because he heard that Masisi was going to greet party members.
He said though the meeting went well, he was unhappy that Masisi was given the lion’s share of the time to talk to party members while he and other candidates were given only five minutes.
“I even told the regional chairman that it was very unfair. If the VP came for campaigns, then we all become candidates and our time should be equal. I was just not happy about it,” he told Mmegi.
Another hopeful, Tati West legislator, Biggie Butale, attended the meeting and said the explanation they received was that Masisi had asked to attend and greet the party faithful. “We managed to talk though our time was very little as compared to Masisi’s,” he said. However, the party’s central region chairman, Oboetswe Gabotlale said there was nothing sinister with the fact that Masisi was slotted into the day’s programme or that he was allocated more time compared to other candidates. While Masisi is not a member of the central region, Gabotlale said the Vice President had asked to attend and was granted a slot. “This could have been granted to anyone who asked to attend,” said Gabotlale.
“It is not wrong for a party elder to come and greet party diehards and I allocated him a slot on my agenda.
“When others heard that the VP was coming they changed issues to appear as if the meeting was convened for the VP and this was wrong.”
Gabotlale said he allowed other candidates to speak though they were not on the agenda and that when Masisi’s turn came, he (Gabotlale) explained that the Vice President’s time would be different as he was already on the agenda. “There was nothing sinister about the whole thing. I would have extended the same gesture if other candidates requested in advance like Masisi did.
“Almost all the chairmanship candidates called me to solicit my support in their race. I am a liberal leader and I cannot sideline any of them. “Some of the candidates have been addressing councils, but they never had a problem with the fact that fellow candidates were not in attendance,” he said.
Gabotlale added: “These are party issues and the complainants know the structures to follow when they are aggrieved. It is not wise to complain to the media because this does not build the party.”
Contacted for a comment yesterday, Masisi was reluctant to engage reporters saying they should speak to his private secretary.
“Calling me directly is unprocedural and I prefer all the enquiries to be routed through my private secretary,” Masisi said.
Tshotlego and Seteng Motalaote could not be reached for comment.