Gabane-Mmankgodi BMD wants constitution review

Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) Gabane-Mmankgodi Constituency has resolved to call for the party’s Constitutional review.

The resolution was taken this past Sunday during the Gabane-Mmankgodi Branch Congress held in Gabane. The congress agreed that a motion should be tabled at the congress billed for Bobonong next month for the review of the constitution to empower the party president. 

The BMD Constitution has been a thorny issue within the party ever since the current National Executive Committee (NEC) was elected into office in Ghanzi two years ago. The party leadership has been at loggerheads over the powers of the NEC and that of the party president. 

The party President according to the constitution does not have powers over the NEC. The NEC is chaired by the party chairman. 

Kweneng Regional Chairman Boipuso Dikgang who presided over the Gabane-Mmankgodi Congress told this publication at the end of the congress that they believe the president should have more powers as opposed to the current scenario.

“A recommendation has been made that scrutiny should be made for the role of the president and the NEC. We are however not saying the powers should be centred around the president where he has sweeping powers. What we are calling for is that when the NEC is out of order then the president should be able to take action”, revealed Dikgang. 

The BMD leadership is currently dominated by members who are said not to be in good books with the party president Ndaba Gaolathe. Gaolathe is only enjoying the support of his deputy Wynter Mmolotsi and Women’s League President Joyce Mothudi. The trio is currently among some of the people who have been slapped with suspensions.

After the 2015 Ghanzi congress Gaolathe pushed for the constitutional review but the efforts have been futile as the bitter war between the Gaolathe-led faction and that led by party Chairman Nehemiah Modubule and Secretary General Gilbert Mangole had escalated. 

Dikgang explained that at the weekend congress they felt that the president has been reduced to a spectator in the running of the party’s affairs. Kweneng region has since indicated that it does not recognise the suspension of Gaolathe and company. Dikgang stated that no communication reached his committee or even branches within his region regarding the suspensions. 

Dikgang revealed that the congress is of the view that the party leadership faulted after the Ghanzi congress by not reconciling the factions. “We believe that after the 2015 congress the party Policy Director should have facilitated reconciliation workshop between those who lost the elections and those who won. It is now evident that failure to have done so has harmed the party even more. We came from Ghanzi not a united party but rather divided”, he said. 

It is in this background that the Gabane-Mmankgodi congress resolved that the policy director should be compelled to organise a counseling session or workshop to unite people who participated in NEC elections, said Dikgang.