BDP self-cleansing for primaries risks backfiring

 

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) self-cleansing ahead of its Bulela- Ditswe has left many candidates for both Parliament and Council in a dilemma as everyone fears unfair vetting.

Following the vetting process by the party central committee, the party introduced another two processes to try and trim down the number of people who will be contesting in its primaries. According to sources, all the processes are a strategy by the party to manage divisions or losing members to opposition parties or contesting as independent candidates.

All these are due to the lessons the party has experienced in the past especially the 2019 general election. Ahead of the 2019 general election, the party found itself between a rock and a hard place before and after conducting primaries in its incumbency constituencies.

At the time, the party claimed that its electoral system has been hacked and investigations were being conducted.

Sources have revealed to Botswana Guardian that in its endeavour to minimise the damage, the party decided to come up with ways of reducing candidates which will ensure there would be less complaints post primary elections.

After the vetting by the central committee, the party called on candidates who want to voluntarily withdraw their candidacy to do so and be refunded their money. Council candidates paid P5 000, while Parliamentary candidates paid P10 000. According to insiders, after realising a low figure of those interested in dropping from the race, the central committee then moved to another phase of requesting that all candidates should be checked for criminal records.

Through a letter to structures from the Deputy Secretary General Dr Lemogang Kwape, the party wanted the branches to check if the candidates have any criminal records, have any pending case before the court or are being investigated for any offence. Furthermore, the BDP leadership demanded that candidates should furnish the party with fingerprints clearance certificates from the police. The deadline for the finger-prints clearance was last week Friday.

Some candidates have expressed concerns about the entire process arguing that this might disadvantage those who are not wanted by the branch committees. This has left many with doubts of survival under the current arrangement which is feared could be manipulated. According to insiders, some of the branch committees have made candidates to fill certain forms/questionnaires about their past and if they have had any form of encounter with law.

“This is dangerous because even if you are cleared through the fingerprints, if the branch does not want you they can cook-up allegations against you. This is also a sensitive period where people plot against others.

“The painful part is that once you have been vetted out you cannot seek recourse or demand to know why you have been vetted,' said one Parliamentary candidate. The BDP is yet to declare the date for the primaries which have left everyone guessing. It is alleged that the primaries might be held in two weeks’ time given the completion of the voters’ rolls and their verification.

This will go into the history books as the party has never had to hold primary elections a few months before the general elections. In the past the BDP has held its primaries way ahead of other parties with the aim to prepare for general elections. The party has also adopted a resolution not to hold an elective congress during a general election year so as to focus on national polls.

The current state of affairs has left many candidates worried given the remaining time for the national polls. President Mokgweetsi Masisi has during several BDP star rallies indicated that the general election will be held in October 2024. Masisi has warned that when one expresses interest to be a candidate, the party can agree or decline. He stated that when people want to become BDP members, they have to follow the directives of the central committee.

“People are busy making voice notes. We will take action because people are violating their membership code of conduct guidelines. When you ask to be a candidate we can agree or say no. We do not want people who force their way through abuse of processes,” Masisi said during a Letswapo Star in Palapye.

According to the BDP leader, it is selfish for democrats who lose in the primaries and want to leave the party and at the same time influence other members to follow them.

“You did the same during by-elections. Some of you do all these things while you are part of the party structures. I am not for those people. You cannot ride solo, we are in this together,” the President said.