BOFEPUSU gives opposition ultimatum

TSHIRELETSO MOTLOGELWA
Staff Writer | Friday November 25, 2011 00:00

 

At a meeting convened by opposition negotiators yesterday, sources say that union representatives told Botswana Congress Party (BCP) president, Dumelang Saleshando, his Botswana National Front (BNF) counterpart, Duma Boko and deputy president of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) Botsalo Ntuane that they will only support a united opposition at the 2014 general elections. The meeting was chaired by the convenors of opposition cooperation talks, Lebang Mpotokwane and Emang Maphanyane. 

Although the meeting was largely a briefing session for the union leadership, sources say that the unionists took the time to reinstate their support for a united opposition.

However, union leaders made it clear that they will not throw their weight behind any individual party if the talks failed.  'We impressed on them that our position is that they have to find a solution to their differences so that the opposition is united going to the 2014 general elections' said one union leader on condition of anonymity.

The meeting at the Big Five lodge in Mogoditshane is said to have ended with an agreement that the union leadership would allow mediation to be concluded. The unions are said to be planning to meet individual parties to hear their position on the current impasse in the talks.

When contacted for comment, BOFEPUSU secretary general, Andrew Motsamai referred all questions to the convenor. Mpotokwane said the briefing session was successful. 'We met with party leaders at the request of the unions.

They requested for the meeting so they could be briefed about the negotiation process. It was a useful discussion. There was a good exchange of views' said Mpotokwane.

The BNF, BCP, BMD and BPP are currently engaged in talks with a view to cooperating at the next general elections. However, the talks are said to have hit a snag in the last few months as the parties could not agree on the constituency distribution. In recent times, the disagreement seems to have widened with public spats between the political parties. This has resulted in some party insiders predicting that the BCP and BNF are seriously considering establishing a bilateral agreement or pact  since their models for constituency distribution do not clash.

However, the parties have reported the impasse to the convenors who have declared a deadlock and instituted mediation efforts.