Skelemani, Ramsden protest election results

After suffering an embarrassing thrashing at the primary elections, Francistown East Member of Parliament (MP) Phandu Skelemani and Frank Ramsden, MP for Maun East are planning to approach the court protesting the results.

This week, Botswana Guardian was told that the two would not accept the results despite suffering losses by huge margins. Ramsden has also been very vocal after his loss to Costa Markus over the weekend and has vowed to approach the courts. Markus walloped Ramsden by 1373 to 563 votes.

Although he was not willing to speak to Botswana Guardian this week, on a excuse of ongoing investigations, the former Minister of Transport and Communications said the elections were flawed, alleging gross irregularities with regard to the voters roll and that some names were missing from the list. This publication could not reach Markus by press time, however he had already rubbished claims that he may have used devious means to win the election.

Buti Billy, the Satellite South councilor won by 973 votes to the 635 votes of Foreign Affairs minister. Skelemani also claims there were irregularities at his ward. This is despite the fact that his downfall was long predicted, with voters in Francistown East claiming that the former attorney general had neglected his area and was set to lose the coming elections.

Sources said Skelemani had suspected his loss long before the primaries. He apparently wrote several letters to both the BDP Central Committee and party President Ian Khama seeking intervention against irregularities. He is said to have informed President Khama before the primaries that should he lose the primaries, he was going to appeal the results and even approach the courts if need be. “I am not going to discuss my issues with the BDP with the press,” Skelemani, just like his defeated colleague Ramsden, told Botswana Guardian.

However BDP lawyer Parks Tafa confirmed that he knows of a few letters written by Skelemani to Khama. “Some of the issues he raised were addressed and some were not, but he is well within his rights to appeal the results or communicate with the party president,” Tafa said, confirming that he is aware that Skelemani plans to appeal the results. He said that Skelemani would appeal the matter regionally before approaching the BDP CC, and then drag it to court if he feels dissatisfied. Billy’s mobile phone was off at press time.