Molefhi�s Team Supports Masisi Presidency
Onalenna Kelebeile | Monday May 29, 2017 16:00
However they have made it clear that they cannot vote for him for the chairmanship in July because it would mean that the committee of 18 would be the one with powers to co-opt a chairman when he resigns the position to become President.
They added that in that scenario, the chairman would not be endorsed by a popular vote. They said they are eager to know who will be co-opted the chairman and wondered why can’t that person enter the chairmanship race and be voted. Molefhi’s campaign manager Tebelelo Seretse said as President Ian Khama’s term ends in March next year, Masisi will be taking over the Presidency and appealed for Masisi’s support next year. “Masisi has got no competition for Presidency. It is an automatic succession. But if he is voted party chairman, he will serve for only seven months before he leaves a vacuum and the new chairman will be decided upon by the committee of 18. In that scenario nothing stops Masisi from co-opting Khama as chairman,” she said.
She added that the roles of party chairman and vice president are so huge that they cannot be held by one person and said a distinction must be drawn between the two.
“We do not want to accuse Masisi of failure at the end of day by overburdening him with responsibilities. In fact, he is going to be the country’s first youngest President. Therefore, we expect his policies to be vibrant,” she said.
She also said that the party will have to hold a by-election at Moshupa/Manyana constituency once Masisi becomes President and encouraged party members to get ready to launch intensive campaigns there.
Seretse said that though their lobby list is ready they could not release it now because they are still consulting with the campaign team.
It is a very strong and watertight team and our motto is that we must all rally behind however is in the lobby list.
“I am leading Molefhi’s campaign with humility and I don’t want you to be mislead by unfounded reports that he is campaigning for the presidency because there is no vacancy for presidency and the constitution does not allow him to campaign for that position,” she said.
Seretse, who was among those who lost the chairmanship to Masisi in the last elective congress in 2015, assured party members that she would do all her best for Molefhi to win that position. She said that though she also wants to challenge for Serowe South parliamentary seat she is not desperate for the position. “I want revival of the BDP more than any position.
How would it help to become an MP while the party is shrinking. Our chairmanship campaign for Molefhi is not about money but principle,” she said.
Another losing candidate of the Mmadinare chairmanship, Moemedi Dijeng said their interest lies with the revival of party structures because there is no way the party can become strong while structures are weak.
“We were disturbed by unimpressive party performance in 2014, hence we contested for the chairmanship in 2015. Now we need to evaluate the party performance between 2015 and now,” he said.
He regretted that despite poor performance by the party, registrations for opposition held constituencies has not started and the party is still unprepared on how it wants to win back those constituencies.
“Whatever strategy is devised should be geared towards beating opposition not to fight among ourselves. Let us identify the weaknesses within us as party members,” he said. Dijeng said VP is multi-tasked while the central committee is comprised of many executives who hold other demanding positions, hence no much time to work for the party. “It should not be about us, but party interests must prevail. Why is there so much interest by Masisi to serve for only seven months in the chairmanship.?
Who will be co-opted and why can’t that person come out and contest for the position? It would not be democratic for the party to have a chairman not voted by popular vote, but co-opted by a committee,” he said.