BMD plans war on UDC

Embattled Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) has vowed to take the war to its coalition partners in Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) following its suspension from the coalition in a bid to protect its constituencies.

BMD which is expected to make representation before the UDC National Executive Committee (NEC) on Thursday next week has come up with a strategy to counter their colleagues in the UDC being Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Botswana National Front (BNF) who are allegedly getting themselves ready to pounce on BMD’s 13 constituencies should the party be expelled from the UDC.

Currently there is a stalemate between BMD and UDC NEC regarding the suspension. BMD has rejected the suspension and made demands to the UDC President Advocate Duma Boko and according to information gathered, Advocate Boko has not responded to the demands put forward by the BMD. Following this development BMD NEC called a meeting with all prospective candidates to discuss the issue this past Sunday.

Botswana Guardian gathered that at the meeting, which took the whole day and was addressed by party leader Advocate Sidney Pilane, candidates expressed disappointment in the way the leadership of the UDC is treating the BMD. Some members of the party have called on the party leadership to unleash an attack on the BCP and BNF.

The intention is that should the UDC NEC go ahead and expel the BMD then the BMD should also target constituencies of their colleagues even if it means the trio losing in the 2019 general elections. The contention at the meeting was that there are a few greedy individuals within the UDC especially at leadership level who are preying on BMD constituencies. These leaders both from BCP and BNF are currently without constituencies and are only banking on the constituencies held by the BMD.

The BMD according to insiders would not allow itself to be a scapegoat and is prepared to fight tooth and nail for its legitimate rights.Sources who attended the highly charged Sunday meeting revealed that the BMD is prepared to go all the way to prove its point. If push comes to shove, the party will get candidates to challenge most of the UDC leadership at their constituencies including the leader of the coalition movement.

Failure to secure candidates the BMD is said to be prepared to support other political parties with other members at the meeting calling for the support of candidates of their splinter Alliance for Progressives (AP). Another meeting is scheduled to be held tomorrow (Saturday) where other issues would be finalised. The BMD has also come up with a series of in-house meetings and public rallies to counter what has been done by Advocate Boko and one of his deputies Dumelang Saleshando who is also President of the BCP.

BMD kickstarted this process with a rally in Mochudi last week. The party has also indicated that it would not make representation before the UDC NEC next week if it has not been furnished with the documents that they requested from Advocate Boko being, minutes and attendance register of the meeting that took the decision to suspend the BMD.

Advocate Boko has stated that the suspension is meant for the BMD to introspect following feedback from UDC members and the public that showed that the BMD leader was resented. He stated that the BMD constituencies remain under the care of the party but all UDC activities would continue in those constituencies.

In an interview BMD Chairman Nehemiah Modubule said he has not heard of any news regarding the scramble for their constituencies. As for the Sunday meeting he said, “As the BMD we hold meetings from time to time.” He confirmed that another meeting would be held tomorrow (Saturday) with candidates. After that they will decide a way forward about other meetings and public rallies.