On Saturday, several regional chairpersons convened in Palapye to deliberate on crucial party business. Following their discussion, they drafted a letter addressed to the party president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, which was officially submitted to him on Wednesday. The members argue that the president holds excessive powers under the current constitution and they believe reducing the powers is necessary to ensure balanced leadership within the party. Out of 14 regions, 10 signed the letter and attended the meeting. The letter reads in part: “We write to formally register what we as regional chairpersons have for the entire political year tried to discuss with yourselves, but to no avail. The regional leadership met in Palapye on November 23 to discuss two points primarily the humiliation we suffered as a party from the just-ended General Election and how we are to forge our way forward as a united and well-governed party.” Furthermore, through the letter, regional chairpersons averred that they have in many ways asked to be given an audience by the party leadership but to no avail. They also said they have long raised concerns to the party’s logistics, which were being done in secrecy and unconstitutionally from expression of interest to the Bulela Ditswe appeals. The concerned chairpersons said they have witnessed helplessly as they were trolled over by the sub committees of the central committee coming into regions with directives and instructions from the appointing authorities. Some key events that the chairpersons feel they are not involved in include the building of party structures, the vetting process and its outcomes, distribution of party merchandise, Bulela Ditswe and feedback on appeals, and preparations for General Elections.
The concerned chairpersons also feel that the party leadership has failed to take their feedback after party primary elections, which could have helped the party. The chairpersons further believe that had the leadership given them an ear, they could not have performed the way they did. "The regional chairpersons had a plenary session with a view of bettering the current state of the party; we are of the view that after long deliberations, the leadership reached a consensus that the first thing to do was to have a total overhaul of the party constitution as a critical document to reshaping and solidifying unity within the BDP. It was resolved that there be key wording points that will guide the constitution to review processes and they are; the party’s apex structure be called the national executive committee (NEC). The membership shall elect into NEC office the following; party president and party vice president, party chairperson, secretary-general, vice secretary-general, party treasurer-general and vice treasurer-general", the chairperson said. Furthermore, they proposed that there shall be no additional members nor specially nominated members into the NEC and that the regional chairpersons shall be members of the NEC. The chairpersons proposed that the party shall introduce leagues and veterans leagues with each of the 14 regions being represented. The other proposal is that both Women’s League and the Youth League should be represented in all 14 regions.
Moreover, there shall be two slots in the NEC to be availed for people living with disabilities (male and females) and there shall be unambiguous roles for each position and change the powers of the party president to be that of the NEC as a collective. “The party shall have the power to recall any employee of the party for anything that will be bringing the party into disrepute or for failing to uphold duties of his/her office. The party, if in government, shall have the power to evoke eight (NEC) above all political office bearers. The meeting resolved that there should be strict adherence to the constitution and that the party structures shall all be aligned to the same tenure in office,” the letter says. On another issue, the regional chairpersons raised discomfort with the trend of rewarding hustlers who have been flocking to the party as job seekers over patriotic democrats in good standing. Gaborone region chairperson, Lebogang Mosope, confirmed that they have indeed handed the letter to the president regarding the party constitution review. In that regard, the party spokesperson, Kagelelo Kentse said: “Many party members are calling for the BDP constitution to be reviewed. What’s more important is the process of doing that and democrats must ensure that it's followed all the way to the national congress. I am not aware of the said letter.”
