The BPP is likely to sign by-election agreement - Molapise

EDWARD BULE
Correspondent | Wednesday March 23, 2011 00:00

 

The reassurance from the BPP leader is notwithstanding the fact that the party has not attended the majority of recent opposition cooperation talks amid reports that its recently expelled leader, Whyte Marobela, has always been disinclined to work with the other opposition parties, preferring the ruling Botswana Democratic Party instead. Molapise revealed in a telephone interview that some time last year, Marobela reported to a central committee meeting that he had met with the BDP leadership where his party was offered logistical and financial assistance if they fielded against Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) candidates in the 2014 general elections.

The BPP reportedly found the proposal to work with the BDP against other opposition parties reactionary and rejected it outright. While opposition parties have worked together in the past, albeit with little to show for the effort, no opposition party in Botswana has ever entered into an election alliance with the BDP.

It seems Marobela was irked by the refusal of the party to embrace the BDP and he apparently resolved never to set foot at any of the subsequent by-elections, while some members of his central committee assisted the Botswana Congress Party both in the Tonota North constituency by-election and in Ikageleng in Selebi-Phikwe, for example. Nor did he assist his own party in the by-election campaigns at Shashemooke more recently. So serious became the schism between the BPP and its president that the latter no longer got invitations to officiate at party functions.

The mistrust in the party was not helped by rumors that Marobela and some supporters, having failed to align the BPP to the BDP, were decamping to join the BDP as individuals. The situation was not helped by the fact that Marobela reportedly declined to publicly set the record straight regarding his rumoured impending move to the BDP.

Molapise confirmed in a telephone interview that the BPP was once again not represented at the last meeting on Monday where a memorandum of understanding on by-elections was signed between the opposition BCP, BMD and BNF. The BPP is still awaiting official responses from Bernard Balikani, Shathiso Tambula, Chapter Mafa, Thabani Peter and Elizabeth Mmusi who have been approached to constitute the negotiating task force of the party.

Asked whether the departure of Marobela would open opportunities for the BPP to work with like-minded political organisations against the BDP, Molapise answered in the affirmative, saying an apology was communicated to the negotiating parties this week for the party's failure to attend the last meeting.

He says after its internal problems, the party is a little behind with respect to its preparedness. Molapise concludes by saying that if given the opportunity to do so by the other parties, the BPP would study and is likely to sign the agreement and proceed to attend all meetings.

Ironically, Molapise - alongside the likes of the late Petrus Podiephatshwa, whose rightwing orientation seemed to blind him to certain realities on the ground, has been viewed amongst BPP in the past as the single biggest stumbling block to opposition cooperation.