Mels reacts to 2010

| Tuesday January 12, 2010 00:00

The BDP manipulated the process, utilised government resources, manipulated government institutions consequently it manipulated the electoral system and 'won': a landslide. This scenario is painful, and will go a long way in under developing this country. The working people, poor peasants and youth have suffered for long, it is time the political and economic system are changed. The BDP owes its success largely to the split caused by the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) when it broke away from the Botswana National Front (BNF).

This split has weakened the social democratic forces, that were close to toppling the BDP through the ballot box owing to the fact that prior to the split the BNF had 13 from a total of 40 parliamentary seats. They had financial sponsors and had enough resources and manpower, to match the ruling party. After this split constituencies were increased to 57 and yet the combined BNF and BCP seats failed to reach the 13 seats they achieved when they were still together. This gives a voters an impression that the opposition is irresponsible, and yet the truth is that it is the petty bourgeois politics which are useless. MELS must expose this situation; unless this dilemma is exposed, the voter will keep on playing games of choosing between BNF and BCP, thus delaying revolutionaries from taking over from the ruling BDP. The split within the BNF was caused by the friends of the BDP, and was made possible because the social democratic politicians are purchasable. The social democratic politicians are not principled, they are not guided by any programme of liberation, to them power is meaningful if it is in their individual hands at all cost - for a progressive voter to remain behind them, is just assisting the BDP to remain in power. In short BDP victory must be blamed on BCP and BNF. Both of them are stagnant.

The last elections practically were a war between BNF and BCP. The BCP 'victory' leaves BDP intact. This is not acceptable.

The elections results has brought in the BDP which is a puppet of the Western, imperialists and has mortgaged the entire country. The Government National Development Plan 10 is run through a loan obtained from imperialists institutions. The country has lost its freedom it is run like a capitalists financial institution. Practically we can no longer determine our destination, we are like a province of the western powers.

Despite all this, MELSIANS, must focus their efforts in re-organising themselves, they must be more visible, more active and use the Palapye 2010 Congress to launch and energise the movement. This year must come as a challenge to us, while our support base is increasing, however, we need to do more to reach the required manpower to unseat the ruling party. I am confident that with more focus, and meaningful structural building, our party, will achieve what many have failed. The ruling BDP has used the collapse of the social democratic parties, as an opportunity to be arrogant and terrorise its own members. Each of our supporters and members must do all they can to surprise them and ensure that we beat them at their game. Now they are relaxed fully because they know that they have weakened social democratic parties. This is the right time for us to increase our efforts. It is time that each of us must carry and live with party instructions.

This is the time in history where we need each other, comrades must spend sleepless nights to encourage and conscientise on the value of living a purposeful life, and the need to sacrifice for a just cause. People must realise that BDP is using dirty tricks to remain in power, it has gone to the extent of neutralising the judicial system it is predominantly conservative. It will be difficult in this country to win power through the ballot box because the playing field is not level and the national institutions associated with the electoral process, that is courts, IEC, state machinery etc are too reactionary. More debates are required within our structures.

Themba Joina
MELS