BNF, BMD at loggerheads over Moshupa- Manyana
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday May 11, 2018 15:07
Already UDC is having two aspirant candidates for Moshupa-Manyana by-election.
The post fell vacant after its MP, Mokgweetsi Masisi became the President of the country on April 1, 2018.
Two affiliates of the UDC, Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) are fighting over the constituency.
In 2014, BMD loaned BNF the constituency because they had no candidate.
Now, BMD wants the constituency back, insisting it has been allocated to them and they have found a candidate who could represent UDC in the by-election.
BMD has wants to field Jonathan Sethono, former deputy director at Ministry of Education, while some BNF members insist on Ngaka Monageng who contested in the area in 2014 to represent the UDC.
The BMD national organising secretary, Freddy Ramodise said the constituency belongs to the BMD and they do not understand why they could negotiate an area that was given to them.
“We had loaned BNF the constituency simply because we had no candidate and that does not mean that they could dictate to us what to do with it. BMD does not fight with any party about constituencies that UDC had allocated them.”
“UDC leadership had agreed that parties could negotiate with each other in case they want to swap the constituencies.
If BNF is interested in the constituency it should have talked to BMD through laid out procedures,” Ramodise said.
On the other hand, BNF spokesperson Justin Hunyepa said his party central committee has taken a resolution that their secretary generals should have bilateral talks on the matter.
“They want both secretary generals to go to people and talk about it. It is very important to talk to people on the ground because they are the voters. Both leadership of the parties should be there in that meeting,” Hunyepa said.
Mmegi has learnt that some members of BNF argue that the BMD do not have a party structure in the area.