Primary elections exemptions ignite unrest within BPF
A decision by the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) National Executive Committee (NEC) to exempt some of its councillors from undergoing primary elections, continues to threaten the party’s stability. About 13 BPF councillors have been exempted from going through primary elections as per an alleged agreement between the party leadership and the affected councilors for the protection of their incumbency.
Information reaching this publication indicates that some members of the party even within the NEC are against the decision, which has been communicated as per a letter from the Deputy Secretary General, Neo Oagile to the affected regions, constituency and ward committees. It has since emerged that some of the planned meetings have failed to bear fruit due to the differences where some members have also threatened to resign from the party or haul the NEC before the court, demanding rescinding of the decision as some of the party members have expressed interest to contest and have since paid.
One of the planned meeting this week on Tuesday failed to materialize due to the tensions created by this development. The meeting was scheduled to be held at Khurumela Ward in Palapye. The structures were told to postpone the meeting without any explanation. It is however alleged that this is due to the fact that the NEC is at pains on how to maneuver around the matter in an effort to save the party. Constituencies that have shown contention so far on the matter are Palapye, all Serowe Constituencies and Bobonong.
The formerly central district has proven to be one of the BPF’s strongholds. The meetings are held in line with Oagile's letter dated 26th February 2024, in which affected councilors were invited to meetings to brief them on this development, followed by meetings on the same dates with general membership in the affected wards. Writes Oagile: “a team of NEC members has been assigned to each of the wards and they will contact chairpersons and secretaries of the respective constituencies for the facilitation of the meetings.”
The arrangement for the 13 councilors, according to Oagile comes after a written request by the BPF councilors to be exempted as per a condition to run under the party name in 2019. Some structures have however dismissed the claims by the NEC that there was never such an arrangement. They argue that this is also against a communication that was issued by the NEC last year when it called for expression of interest to contest for elections. The NEC did not highlight such wards that will be exempted.
What irks some of the members is that some people have already paid and expressed interest to contest in the affected constituencies. Some of the protected councilors are said to have been failing to pay their monthly subscriptions which should in accordance with the party constitution have them barred from contesting. BPF Palapye Constituency Chairman, Bishop Selan said he is constrained to discuss the matter with third parties as he is not authorized to do so. He also revealed that it is too early to discuss the issues raised as they have rescheduled the meeting for today (Friday).