The national council is set to test the stability of the ruling party going forward as already there are major cracks in the party.
The BDP council will be held in Gaborone and the theme of this year’s national council is, ‘Unity and Consolidation’.
Usually, the BDP national council is the policy-making body of the party and some of the proposed policies even reach Parliament.
Just recently during the elections of council chairpersons and deputies for different districts, some BDP members are alleged to have connived with the opposition councillors to topple some of their own.
That is despite the BDP Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC) having tried to intervene to request some of the members to desist from defying the party. The party is also worried that some of its members attack government policies openly and that is not allowed. Another issue that gives the party sleepless nights is internal fights that have even cost the BDP some by-elections. Of the 13 council by-elections that were held in recent months, the BDP only managed to win three of them.
According to article 31, 1-3 of the BDP constitution, “there shall be a parliamentary caucus comprising all Members of Parliament, which shall be chaired by the party president or such other person as the president may appoint or delegate and there shall be a council caucus for each district, town or city council comprising all party councillors in each council”.
It further states that the decision of the caucus shall be binding on each member.
Last week, the party central committee according to a source took a decision that action should be taken against some councillors who decided to align their votes with opposition parties.
“The PEEC has to make a formal complaint to the party about some councillors who refused to listen and rather went ahead to vote with the opposition parties. The CC has agreed that those councillors should be suspended from the party,” the source said.
Apart from indiscipline issues, the members want the issue concerning the employment of the party secretary-general (SG) to be debated as some are against the decision.
The members believe that it is against the principle of democracy if some are not going to be allowed to contest for the SG position on the basis that they will be now an employee of the party.
“This is a powerful position in the party that is not supposed to be influenced by anyone. The SG is the backbone of the party. The national council has once proposed that the SG should also be a Member of Parliament for them to ensure that some policies suggested in Cabinet be aligned with party suggestions. They believe that the SG should be the eyes and ears of the party or Members in Parliament or at Cabinet-level. However, the new swift will automatically mean that the SG will only focus on building structures and be in the office all the time. Some believe that if the SG becomes a party employee, then they would be no need to have a position of executive secretary,” another source said.
Some of the issues that the national council might discuss are the repeal of the Media Bill, which the media has been crying foul about. The Minister of State President, Kabo Morwaeng is supposed to brief the council on what will happen after repealing the Bill.
However, Mmegi has learnt that the Ministry wants the online platforms to be regulated just like other media houses that are regulated by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) or the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA).
On unity, the BDP spokesperson Kagelelo Kentse emphasised the need for members to work together.
“If there is unity in the party then members and the party will be stronger and more solid and better placed to prepare for the 2024 general election. There is a need for peace and unity in the party for members to know that they are one. We cannot win elections if the party is divided hence our unity and consolidation theme,” Kentse said.
Recently during the BDP Women’s Wing congress, President Mokgweetsi Masisi told BDP members that at the national council, he wants members to be united and should table issues that could help the party to grow.
The President also said he was not happy with some councillors and MPs who kept on requesting salary increases while the country was facing a serious challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The party needs volunteers who will be able to work for it without seeking certain favours. Some people within the party do help opposition parties to attack the BDP. At the national council, I want us to forgive each other and rather come up with strategies that could help the BDP to win the coming general election. My aim is for our party to increase its popular vote from 52% to 60 or 70 %,” Masisi highlighted.
