The BDP impasse
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday July 23, 2015 18:03
The BDP held Bulela Ditswe last Saturday but one of the contestants has filed a complaint challenging the outcome of the primary elections.
Five people had contested the primaries for the parliamentary position, which was won by the minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Eric Molale. Other contestants were Tonny Mogatle, Kopo Mononi, Philip Sebakile and Fankie Motsaathebe.
Molale garnered, 703, followed by Motsaathebe with 625 votes, with Mononi coming third with 468, Sebakile 207 while Mogatle got 59.
Immediately after the announcement of the results Motsaathebe indicated that he was appealing and would file the complaint with his party office.
The election officer, Leo Motlhophi confirmed that Motsaathebe had filed a complaint, which would be dealt with by the BDP office. Yesterday Motsaathebe said his party had promised to resolve his case. “I had made my complaint to the party office and they have responded. I cannot disclosure anything because this is an internal matter,” Motsaathebe said. But sources close to Motsaathebe, who is a lawyer by profession, revealed that if the party does not take his grievances seriously, he may go to court. Unless something happens in the next few hours, the BDP may find itself in the dire situation it did before the 2013 by-elections in Francistown West. Then, losing primaries candidate, Whyte Marobela took the party to court, resulting in the party candidate, Ignatius Moswaane barred from contesting.
To try and ensure the situation is kept under control, Motlhophi had, following the disputed primaries on Saturday, asked the regional office to reconcile the candidates.
It is not just the dispute over the election results that is giving the ruling party headaches. Before announcing the results Saturday night, Motlhophi noted that the numbers of people who had voted during the primary elections were not convincing. “Some things need to be put under control in this area. Indications are clear that our contestants cannot work together after this primary. We cannot win this area because of this kind of relationship. The campaign between our members was not clean and it looks like some will not support the winner,” Motlhophi said. He said numbers in politics do not lie, and the number that voted do not show that BDP would win the area. Motlhophi said the BDP voters roll for Goodhope/Mabule has over 16,000 voters but only 2,104 had voted in the primaries. This accounts to less than a 14 percent poll.
“I am very worried by this number. There is need for us to work hard. For example we have a ward where only nine people voted,” he said. Things got worse after the announcement of the results, with dissatisfied BDP members showing displeasure by singing; ‘Tlotlang kgosi e kgolo banna…’, a clear message of defiance to the ruling party that their allegiance may be with their chief, Kgosi Lotlamoreng II. Lotlamoreng has resigned his chieftaincy to stand as a candidate for the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change.