Opposition parties set to choose conveners

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Friday February 25, 2011 00:00

Mmegi is reliably informed that the opposition parties, at their last meeting, assigned Botswana Congress Party (BCP) vice-president Ephraim Setshwaelo to approach people whose names have been shortlisted for the post of convener.

'Setshwaelo was tasked to go and talk to them on behalf of the party presidents and then come and brief Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) interim president Gomolemo Motswaledi, who will in turn brief the opposition talks meeting on Monday,' said BCP secretary general, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang.

He added that Motswaledi is the convener of the Monday meeting. Though Gobotswang could not release the names of the two people to be named as conveners, it is believed that members of the Committee for Strengthening Democracy in Botswana, Lebang Mpotokwane and Emang Maphanyane, who have been involved in opposition talks before. Reverend Prince Dibeela is also said to be a likely candidate.

When approached for comment, Motswaledi refused to say who has been selected to be conveners for the talks.He, however, disclosed that besides the conveners, they would talk about the timetable to landscape the talks.

The agenda also has the terms of reference as a subject of discussion, where the opposition parties, which include BMD, BCP, Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) will focus on preferred models of cooperation and other related issues.

'We will also focus on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on by-elections,' he said. 

For his part, BNF spokesman Moeti Mohwasa said he did not have information on the upcoming meeting and referred Mmegi to party president Duma Boko and secretary general Akanyang Magama who would not answer their mobile phones yesterday.