Pilane's long text to UDC Executive Committee WhatsApp Group
Correspondent | Monday July 2, 2018 12:56
In the Moshupa Manyana by-election, the BCP and BNF actively campaigned against the UDC parliamentary candidate and achieved victory for the BDP. That was contrary to all that the UDC is and represents.
Mohwasa and Hunyepa continue to make public statements claiming that constituency and Lentsweletau Mmopane as their own, and making all manner of threats.
We are not moved, but are deeply saddened and cry for the UDC and Batswana, the only losers in all this. Those constituencies are ours by agreement reached at the negotiations in 2016. That is not going to change.
And there is nothing further to be said about those constituencies as we are not going to re-open negotiations as they were concluded in 2016.
What is left to be done is for each of our four parties to work hard to win for the UDC constituencies allocated to it by the UDC in 2019 instead of working for the BDP to continue winning elections.
Honesty, honour and integrity require that we should all respect agreements. When the BNF should be working its 22 constituencies in order to win them for the UDC in 2019, and this is what we at the BMD are trying to do, Mohwasa, Hunyepa and those in the BNF who allow themselves to be used by them continue to undermine the interests of the UDC and to promote those of the BDP.
If by doing these things comrades think they are going to force us to re-open negotiations concluded in 2016, they are wrong. All that they are going to achieve is victory for the BDP as their activities are causing the nation to not trust the UDC to keep its word on anything, to not trust its viability, to not trust its capability to rule as it's partner parties actively and publicly undermine each other and the UDC, and to not trust its stability as an alternative govt.
The UDC already has parliamentary candidates in Moshupa Manyana and Lentsweletau Mmopane constituencies for 2019, and nothing that Mohwasa, Hunyepa and their friends do will change that.
Comrades have a clear choice to make: to work for the continued victory of the BDP at the polls as they did in Moshupa Manyana and are now doing that in that constituency, in Lentsweletau Mmopane and in others, or refrain from that and work that the UDC win as many of its constituencies as possible so we take power in 2019.
We at the BMD pledge to work our 13 constituencies as hard as we can so we win as many of them as we can for the UDC in 2019. This we have started to do.
We are also going to urge our members in the 22 constituencies given to the BNF, the 17 given to the BCP, and the 5 given to the BPP, to actively work for and with those parties in order to win as many of those seats as possible.
We at the BMD are going to keep the peace even as some amongst us promote war over constituencies and wards, a war they will fight alone as we are not going to participate in it as any warring means continued victory for the BDP.
We at the BMD are going to keep the faith with the UDC and with Batswana, and to do our best for the UDC always.
Succumbing to these fights and re-opening negotiations concluded in 2016 can only harm the UDC and help the BDP. That is why the BMD is NOT going to have any role in any of those activities. There are some in the BCP and BNF who are spreading the spirit which gave the BDP victory in Moshupa Manyana in other UDC constituencies held by the BMD.
By doing so, they can only undermine the UDC 's chances and promote those of the BDP and keep the latter party in govt. In all this, by undermining the People's Project our comrades are betraying Batswana, which is tragic.
We at the BMD have a clear conscience.
Whatever happens in 2019, the nation will know that we kept the faith with it by adhering to principles and values long held dear by our people.
The chaos in the UDC that some partner parties are creating by arguing publicly over constituencies, holding primary elections in wards not properly allocated to them, and working to undermine UDC candidates in constituencies held by the BMD erodes public confidence in the UDC and it's viability as an alternative govt, causes despair amongst our people, and incrementally reduces the chances of the UDC winning power in 2019.
That is the greatest tragedy of our times, and those who author it will be made to pay a dear price by the nation. Bakaulengwe, there is a UDC by-election campaign taking place in Ramokgwebana. We should all go there in force and work for the UDC candidate to win bcoz victory by the UDC is victory for Batswana.