UDC Will Not Prevail Against Pilane � Mmolotsi
Chakalisa Dube | Monday October 9, 2017 18:00
This is according to Alliance for Progressives (AP) vice president Wynter Mmolotsi. Mmolotsi was addressing AP members at Montsamaisa Secondary School over the weekend. The AP is a splinter party of the BMD formed just over a fortnight ago, following two years of simmering tensions within the party. The UDC is made up of the Botswana National Front (BNF), Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Botswana People’s Party (BPP) and the BMD.
Following the formation of the AP, Pilane pronounced himself as the legitimate president of the BMD while the UDC has made it clear that it does not recognise him.
The UDC has averred that Pilane was not legitimately elected into the presidency, citing unfavourable conditions during the BMD elective congress in Bobonong in July. Pilane has even made it clear that he does not need the recognition of the UDC in order to assume his role vice presidency role within the opposition coalition. He has also demanded to be invited to the UDC National Executive Committee meetings.
It is anticipated that the two contrary positions by the UDC and Pilane are likely to cause infighting within the umbrella.
In fact, Mmolotsi believes the best the other UDC parties can do is to emulate the AP and quit the UDC then form their own coalition minus the Pilane’s BMD if they want progress.
“Pilane took his time strategically planning to destroy the opposition parties. His initial target was to destroy the BMD and he has achieved his mandate. Now he is going for the UDC. He has already started the process of destroying the UDC,” charged the Member of Parliament for Francistown South. Mmolotsi and other AP members have often maintained that Pilane’s main mission is to bring down opposition parties because he does not want regime change.
“Pilane was part of those who played a telling role in drafting the constitution against our will (the BMD Ndaba Gaoalathe faction). He drafted it in a way that it will work in his favour at some point. He knows all the loopholes. He will certainly prevail against the UDC,” Mmolotsi said.
He added that the other scenario is that Pilane and the UDC may engage in a legal battle (over Pilane’s claim that he is legitimately at the helm of the BMD) that may take longer to resolve and thus impact negatively on the UDC progress.
“We formed a new party because we did not want to end up going the legal route where we could have possibly taken a lengthy time to resolve our differences with other BMD faction.
“The other parties that make up the UDC might be forced to form their own party and leave Pilane with the UDC because I see the difference dragging much longer. Forming a new party will be the best solution. We did it and we are now a happy lot,” he said.
Pilane has often maintained that those who are accusing him of trying to destroy the opposition parties are doing so out of natural hatred rather than tangible evidence. Meanwhile, Mmolotsi told the Montsamaisa gathering that the AP launch will attract over 10,000 people. The launch will be in Gaborone at Baisago University on October 28.
The party will officially launch its logo and party colours on October 14. Purple will be the primary colour of the AP while navy blue and white will be the secondary colours. “After the main launch, we will also have a massive launches in all our 12 regions,” Mmolotsi said.