the monitor

Court disputes reflect party democracy – BPF SG

Lawrence Ookeditse. PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Lawrence Ookeditse. PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO

FRANCISTOWN: Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) secretary-general (SG), Lawrence Ookeditse, has dismissed concerns that the party’s internal conflicts, which often lead to court cases, will damage its credibility.

He maintains that the disputes are a sign of democracy. Ookeditse told The Monitor on Friday in an interview at the Francistown High Court, where some BPF activists have launched an application to force the party to reverse its decision to ditch the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC)—an opposition coalition—ahead of the 2024 General Election. They argue that the decision to dump the coalition was not procedural. Other members led by the National Executive Committee contend that the decision to quit the UDC was in order. The BPF was founded five years ago. Since then, its members have been a constant feature at the High Court, battling for the control of the party.

This has led to fears that frequent court battles may render the party an entity that is not worth voting for at the election or dent its credibility. To some, the constant court battles also point to weaker conflict resolution mechanisms in the party. “It depends largely on what you are dealing with. As a neutral party who is looking at it through a fair lens, it happens in the course of advancing democracy in an organisation (court battles). So, you can’t say to us it is a blot to the image of the organisation,” he told The Monitor. Ookeditse added that the court is part of an administrative process or stages of the party. “If you cannot reach an agreement then you go for arbitration through the courts then that is not something that cannot be looked at as unfair or an injustice to the image of the party.” He emphasised that BPF members have a right to go to court if they feel aggrieved by any decision taken by the party.

“There are members of the party who had wanted to contest under the UDC. Wanting that is not a bad thing. There are also equal members of the party who had thought that they should go with the BPF as it is at the general election. You have two parties who have legitimate interests. I do not think it is a bad thing. The court will decide,” Ookeditse said. He also suggested that there might be an ulterior motive as to why some BPF members have taken the party to court demanding that the decision to quit the coalition be reversed. “Why don’t you think that there may be third parties interested (in the recent court application),” he asked rhetorically but declined to explain. The narrative amongst some BPF members who were at the high court on Friday was that some of their political opponents are indirectly sponsoring the recent court application. They suspect that their opponent might be doing this to polarise or weaken the BPF ahead of this year’s general election.

Editor's Comment
UDC's 100 Days: Please deliver your promises!

We duly congratulate them to have ousted the long ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) from power. Prior to taking power from the BDP, the coalition had made several election promises that are credited for influencing change and swaying the people to vote in its favour.The party had made an undertaking, which its leader and President Duma Boko consistently bellowed in his campaign trail. These undertakings were promises that Batswana would be...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up