When constitutional powers are a problem

The on-going furore in the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) which has seen the Barata-Phathi faction squaring up against party president Ian Khama and in which they accuse the latter of abusing his powers by making unilateral decisions calls for an examination of the party's constitution.

According to the BDP constitution, the party president wields a lot of executive powers, something which has caused many to question the wisdom of one having one man have such immense powers in a supposedly democratic organisation. This argument flows from the fact that Khama's unilateral decisions were undemocratic in that he did not consult with the central committee. This argument has been perpetuated by some central committee members, especially those aligned to the Barata-Phathi faction, also known as Kedikilwe-Kwelagobe faction, and the argument has actually gained ground even beyond the BDP.