Outcry as BNFYL elections are postponed again

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Tuesday May 4, 2010 00:00

The elections were not held last weekend in Kanye as planned. This is the second such postponement, after the polls also failed to take place last month in Mochudi.

Councilor Thomas Kgethenyane told Mmegi that the central committee influenced the current BNFYL leadership to postpone the elections upon realising that their preferred candidates were not yet ready. However, Arafat Khan, BNFYL spokesperson refuted these allegations and said the decision was made by the three lobby groups (for the BNFYL elections), led by Molatedi Selala, Kagiso Ntine and Chalido Madome.

The elections will now be held from May 15-16, 2010 in Kanye, 'due to the prevailing weather conditions (it was a rainy week),' said Khan.

Another reason he cited is that they have been waiting to get confirmation for the venue from a school they applied to.

Khan said the central committee had in fact called the current BNFYL and told 'us not to postpone again.'

Ntime however said, the BNFYL committee consulted them as some people had indicated that they wanted the elections to be postponed. 'But I wanted them to be held on that date (1st May). I think some people feel they are not well prepared to run for elections,' he said.

BNF spokesman, Moeti Mohwasa dismissed the allegations saying the central committee only heard about the postponement after the three lobby groups had already discussed the issue.

Other presidential candidates Madome and Selala could not be reached for comment.