BMD meets today on UDC demands
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday November 2, 2017 11:37
Yesterday UDC president, Duma Boko told journalists that they have asked the BMD to hold another congress before end of January. The BMD was officially informed on Monday. BMD spokesperson, Rasina Rasina told Mmegi afterwards that the coalition demands would be discussed today.
“The national working committee of the BMD already has a scheduled meeting. Though the meeting agenda was agreed upon and communicated 14 days ago, we shall discuss the UDC issues under ‘matters arising’ and henceforth be provided guidance by the national executive committee.
“Only after this meeting will I be in a position to speak to the matter you are raising,” Rasina said. Meanwhile, Boko told the press conference that the UDC demanded a fresh congress to address the breakdown of the BMD after the Bobonong congress. He said the UDC had resisted an effort by the BMD to force recognition of its current leaders.
“We received a letter from BMD on September 26 in which they wanted their leadership to be recognised, arguing that the other team which they were supposed to be reconciled with had since formed their own party,” Boko said. “However, our ruling on the matter was clear that the events and environment at the Bobonong congress were not conducive for free and fair elections to be held.
Therefore the BMD leadership is not legitimate.” The UDC leader said they asked the BMD to form an interim committee and send four names to the UDC NEC which will help the party to organise for the congress that should be held before the UDC launch.
“We have postponed the UDC launch from November to end of February to enable BMD to prepare and hold their congress. BMD is still a member of UDC and it remains so. It has not been suspended or expelled. We do not have problems with the BMD, but we want certain things to be done properly,” he said.
On the issue of the wrangle over constituency allocations with the Botswana Peoples Party, Boko said they have agreed that bilateral negotiations could work where individual parties within the UDC negotiate with each other.
“In the event that one party fails to manage its constituency, the UDC will then be forced to intervene,” he said.