Former presidents� packages to boost BDP campaign
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday April 11, 2017 18:00
University of Botswana (UB) lecturer, Leonard Sesa is of the view that with the newly passed Bill allowing former presidents access to any mode of transport, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is resourced to win the elections in 2019.
The Pension and Retirement Benefits Amendment Bill No. 22 of 2016 seeks to allow former presidents use of any Government owned mode of transport, on a case-by-case basis, on such terms as may be determined by the President. Previously, former presidents were entitled to only specified motor vehicles.
The BDP will from next April 1, have at their disposal five helicopters to start campaigning for the 2019 elections. This is because in addition to the incumbent and the vice, there will be three former presidents in Ian Khama, Sir Ketumile Masire and Festus Mogae who will have access to state aircraft regardless of what they want to use them for.
“The 2019 campaign will be very tight, the BDP will have to use everything at their disposal. Imagine the President, the Vice President and three former presidents flying to all corners of the country in the campaign. This will be very difficult for the opposition to counter,” he said.
Sesa said the use of a helicopter is very powerful as in some remote areas people get amused just by the machine and could vote for the ruling party. “The BDP does not even need the political party funding with this law. We have heard that Khama is expected to be their chief negotiator for 2019 and this could be meant to help him. The former presidents can travel with whomever while the already struggling opposition cannot do anything about this,” he said.
Another political analyst and UB lecturer, Zibane Maundeni argued that it would depend on powers bestowed on the former president by the incumbent. “It is just talk that Khama would be their chief campaigner. No President would want to be overshadowed. It will be at the incumbent’s discretion whether he uses them or not,” he said.
Maundeni noted that when he was the Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, former MP Phandu Skelemani told Parliament that the Leader of Opposition was also entitled to use state aircrafts but they chose not to. But it is still to happen.
Opposition whip Wynter Mmolotsi said there is not much they can do but hope Batswana realised that the BDP was up to no good.
“They changed the law so that President Ian Khama who will be their chief campaigner can abuse state resources for their campaigns. This is despite that they refused political party funding,” he said.
Mmolotsi said they would try all they can to make Batswana aware that their resources are being abused and hope they will not vote for the BDP. Mmolotsi said it was unfortunate that the Bill passed after they had tried to block it with solid reasons in Parliament.
Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) decries that the law gives the ruling party a platform to abuse resources. “When we ask for increment of workers’ salaries we are told there in no money. Now President Khama has their tailor made package running into millions and unlimited access to a transport of their choice,” BOFEPUSU secretary general Tobokani Rari said.
Rari further said there was a likelihood that Khama would traverse the country in pursuit of votes for his party in the build up to 2019 elections. He said the federation is yet to meet to forge a way forward on the matter. “We have been busy with the bargaining council issue. We will meet very soon to determine a way forward which could be going the legal route or sensitizing the workers around the country,” he said.
BDP chief whip Liakat Kablay insists that the law was not meant for BDP. He however says nothing can stop the former presidents from politicking. “This was all meant to improve efficiency when they undertake their daily duties.
President Khama has said he would be willing to help with the campaign, the law does not say he cannot use the transport for political activities, so there is nothing wrong in him using whatever mode of transport for political activities,” he said.