BNF councillor takes BDP to court over elections
Correspondent | Wednesday May 31, 2017 15:54
The urgent application was heard in the evening of Monday May 29, 2017 and Otlaadisa succeeded in interdicting the re-election which was to be held on Tuesday 30, May 2017. The Council Secretary had issued a Notice of Convocation of a meeting to re-elect a chairperson and its deputy, again.
The Council Secretary claims that elections were not properly run as two ex-officio members did not vote after they were advised that the standing orders made them ineligible to cast a vote.
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) councillor, Thapelo Pelekekae beat his party colleague Tlhomamo Dibeela in the chairpersonship race and Otlaadisa (UDC) won the deputy position.
This apparently did not go down well with Tsholetsa House and the BDP underworld started mobilising for a re-run. This is despite the fact that prior to the elections, the standing order rule on ex-officio role in elections was clarified, the winning duo were then sworn in, and the new Council chairperson welcomed and congratulated them.
There are a total of 25 councillors, including two ex-officio ones in the sub-district. UDC has 10 councillors and BDP has 15, including the two ex-officio ones. During the elections, Pelekekae (BDP) won by 12 votes to Dibeela’s 10. Otlaadisa (UDC) won by 12 to BDPs 11.
Two BDP progressive councillors voted UDC and another BDP abstained, therefore affording UDC to win the deputy seat.
A BDP faction allegedly did not want Pelekekae to win as he is viewed as an opposition sympathiser. To the now unpopular BDP, this is an overwhelming opposition triumph and is unwelcome, hence the call for a re-election at any cost.
The UDC councillors are however united and have vowed to fight the corrupt BDP members and those employees who are in the forefront driving the re-election.
The UDC councillors also want the law to lift the veil and get those responsible for this unlawful and unreasonable re-election act to be personally liable for the legal costs as public funds are being wasted unnecessarily.
The Judge has since ruled that there will be no re-elections on May the 30, 2017.
The Respondents were to submit their answering affidavit on Wednesday May 31, 2017.
The Applicants are to make their final response on Friday June 2, 2017.
The substantive debate on the matter will then resume on Monday June 5, 2017, in Lobatse.
The BNF calls upon all members of UDC family and the general public to attend the court sessions and offer solidarity to these Comrades who want to protect democracy.
Justin Hunyepa
BNF Publicity Secretary