A house divided

| Monday February 13, 2012 00:00

 

The Monitor: We understand that the six BNF MPs have claimed ignorance of the party's central committee resolution that the seat of the Leader of Opposition should rotate between the BNF and the BMD, and that Botsalo Ntuane of the BMD should continue to hold fort until the two parties agree on a replacement from the BNF. Does this mean that the BNF central committee made a resolution binding the party MPs and did not bother to inform them about it?

Boko: We have a good relationship with our party MPs. You must also realise that MPs are also members of various party structures and as such are in positions to be informed of central committee resolutions, especially resolutions of a general nature. But concerning the January 21, meeting, I think it was important to communicate the resolutions quickly and inform them. The press wrote about the resolutions. On the other hand, the party secretariat should have given the MPs the resolutions. Between the day of the meeting and the day when the coup was announced in parliament, the secretariat should have communicated to the MPs. On top of that the secretariat should also have communicated with the BMD leadership and informed them of our resolution regarding rotating the post ofleader of opposition. All these were not done.

The Monitor: Why did it not happen? And please tell us whom are you referring to as the secretariat?

Boko: The secretary general and his deputy [Referring to Akanyang Magama and Nono Kgafela-Mokoka]. But I don't know why the resolutions were not communicated. We will make an enquiry later to find out what happened.

You will note that some MPs are in the central committee. So they should be aware of the resolutions made at the meeting. So ignorance of the resolutions is not an excuse. Its only understandable for those MPs who are not central committee members.

The Monitor: We understand that some central committee members actually told the six BNF MPs that the leadership resolved that the BNF should coalesce with the BCP at parliament distorting the real resolution taken at the central committee meeting. Is that true?

Boko: Yes it happened and it's regrettable that it happened. But like I said an enquiry into the whole saga will be made.

The Monitor: We understand that the issue of cooperating with other opposition parties has split the BNF into factions as some people like your vice-president Isaac Mabiletsa wants a pact whilst some like you are for the umbrella. What is your take on this?

Boko: I don't think there are factions. The issue of wanting a pact has not developed into a faction. There are various viewpoints; there is the party line which is that the BNF will go back to pursue the umbrella. Others think it's a waste of time, and they say they believe in the BCP coalition. Its a viewpoint and they are entitled to it.

We didn't deny them audience to express themselves. But in the end, the party position was taken and their views must step aside.

The Monitor: What will you do then to deal with dissent?

Boko: I am uncompromising in ensuring that the resolution is carried out. That is my role. Those in the party leadership or in parliament who still think they can stick with the BCP through a coalition have lost at the central committee and must abide by the party resolution. They are just a few individuals with a viewpoint. They articulated it and were defeated.

The Monitor: Some critics say the opposition has lost big time in public goodwill as a result of the failed coup at parliament. Do you think it is true?

Boko: It was embarrassing for the opposition, especially the manner in which it arose but it does not erode the hope that people have in us. Batswana are very patient and understanding. They have been patient with the BDP despite its atrocious mistakes.

The Monitor: So you are saying there is no way you will lose the goodwill?

Boko: The people will lose faith in us based on how we react to this embarrassment, but we reacted maturely in a resilient way in dealing with dissent within our ranks.

The Monitor: So how has the BNF membership responded to this act of defiance in Parliament?

Boko: Because of this, the BNF has come out stronger. We dealt with it swiftly. Now there is a Leader of Opposition and our party resolution on rotating the post with BMD is back in force. People dont condemn you because of your errors. They will criticise you because they are serious about you and want you to be as serious about them as they are about you. They will also judge you on how you react to these kind of situations.

The Monitor: What kind of impact has the failed coup had on the relationship between the three parties of BNF, BCP and BMD?

Boko: Opposition parties in Parliament have been operating in an informal coalition. But after the BDP motion, which saw the opposition without an official leader in Parliament, we had to find something quickly to resolve this matter or to find ourselves at the mercy of the BDP. That is there was the option of waiting for the amendment of the Standing Orders to deal with the issue of who is leader of opposition when two parties have an equal number of seats. Do you think the BDP would have cooperated with us and helped us get this amendment? No. Their interest is to embarrass us. That is why I ended up proposing that we form a coalition to inform the speaker, Margaret Nasha and also forward her Botsalo Ntuanes name for the Leader of Opposition seat.

The Monitor: Why did you exclude the BCP from this coalition deal?

Boko: This was to the advantage of the opposition as a whole. Once you enter into a coalition in parliament, there are certain privileges that you lose. The BNF and the BMD have one leader being Ntuane and one chief whip, being Wynter Mmolotsi. As you know, a minority party's leader is entitled to talking longer than other MPs say when debating or responding to a budget speech. If the BCP had joined this coalition in parliament, then Dumelang Saleshando will have lost this privilege. But now this means the opposition has an added advantage in him as a minority leader.

The Monitor: What is the relationship between the coalition partners and the BCP?

Boko: We are on good terms with the BCP. After we decided to form the coalition, I went to inform Saleshando about the coalition. This was with the blessing of the BMD. And I can tell you we had a friendly discussion with the BCP leader.