Consensus for BDP in Tlokweng unlikely
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday December 16, 2016 16:19
The BDP is looking for a candidate who does not belong to any faction for the imminent by-election. Factionalism is blamed for the 2014 general elections loss in this constituency. This scourge saw a candidate who won the primary elections, Elijah Katse being suspended by President Ian Khama and replaced by former MP Olebile Gaborone.
Gaborone suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the late Same Bathobake of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) with 6,442 against 3,867. The Botswana Congress Party’s (BCP) Jacob Zachariah came third with 1,195 votes. The BCP is expected to rally behind the UDC candidate since the two parties have a memorandum of agreement for by-elections. The position of Tlokweng MP became vacant after the death of Bathobakae late last month.
Three names have thus far popped up, Akanyang Seitshiro, Phineas Molefhe and Thulaganyo Segokgo. Just like before the 2014 general elections, the BDP is a divided house in Tlokweng and this is likely to cost the party again in the by-election expected early next year. According to highly placed sources, the possibility of conducting primary elections in this area is very high as compromise is ruled out at the moment. “Some members had started campaigning for their candidates. I don’t think there will be a consensus candidate to contest the elections,” the source said.
Another source revealed that the divisions in the party run deep, which resulted in the collapse of structures. “Although some party members want a neutral candidate who was not involved in 2014 factions, it should try to make peace between the members who were in those factions.
Or else we are heading for another beating by the opposition.” The BDP secretary general, Botsalo Ntuane stated that the local structures are meeting this Sunday.
“We will be addressing all BDP structures plus entire party membership in Tlokweng on Sunday in the afternoon to share ideas about the upcoming by-election and how we approach it including the issue of candidates for the primary election,” he said.
Meanwhile the Botswana National Front (BNF) spokesperson, Justin Hunyepa said though their party central committee had met with the constituency committee, the members had requested that the month of December should be left to mourn Bathobakae.
The BNF is a member of the UDC.
“The constituency committee, or branch, will give the party feedback in January on what they had planned. The party will only intervene if there is (a) problem. They will have to call the members to know what should be done. The campaigns will start next year as well,” Hunyepa said.