New party: April Fools' prank?

GREG KELEBONYE
Staff Writer | Friday March 26, 2010 00:00

 

Yesterday, Sir Ketumile issued a media statement - which he also read over Radio Botswana and Botswana Television calling for a ceasefire between the Barata-Phathi and the BD central committee to allow for negotiations.

Until yesterday none of the parties - the central committee led by President Ian Khama, and the Barata-Phathi leaders were willing to declare a ceasefire. From the time the Barata- Phathi announced that representatives from disgruntled structures across the country would be meeting, the BDP leadership issued threats of disciplinary action against the dissident members. The faction disregarded the threats. First was an announcement on BTV that the Saturday meeting was illegal and that those who attend risked the full wrath of the party disciplinary process. However, the delegates came and proceeded to unanimously declare they were forming a party. They also put forth a list of demands to Khama 'to consider' but insisted they were determined to form a new party.

The BDP responded by pouring cold water on the demands and issuing an ultimatum to the effect that the organisers of the meeting, together with their sympathisers should hand over their BDP membership cards or they would be treated as members of the party and therefore subject to its disciplinary processes. They refused, as they said there was no need to hand over the cards. Then on Wednesday, the BDP chairperson of the disciplinary sub-committee, Tebelelo Seretse, warned during BTV news that the 'dissidents' would face disciplinary measures.

Masire's efforts have however been looked at askance by some members of the Barata-Phathi who say they are open to dialogue but wonder why it had to take their decision to form a party to get the elders to intervene. Many within the faction said they could not trust the central committee to play fair until the next election.  In his statement Masire is asking the BDP central committee to halt its planned disciplinary action against the 300 plus members. He appealed to Barata-Phathi to refrain from saying they are forming a party and be willing to allow for dialogue with the BDP leadership.

'The BDP central committee should convene a meeting as soon as possible to meet with my team and the working group appointed by Barata-Phathi to address this matter,' he said.

It remains to be seen if this time around Masire will succeed in bringing peace between Barata-Phathi and the central committee. Last year, he failed in a bid to bring peace between former BDP secretary general, Gomolemo Motswaledi and Khama. Motswaledi had questioned the authority of lawyers appointed by Khama to issue statements on behalf of the party without consulting him as secretary general. Khama suspended him for 60 days shortly before the general election, putting paid to his dream of becoming an MP. Then after the elections Khama banned him for five years, effectively extinguishing his hopes of at least standing in the 2014 elections.

Motswaledi lost his case to have Khama's decision reversed by the courts as his lawyers invoked the immunity clause.