Bulela Ditswe gobbles over half a million
Botswana Democratic Party has spent over P600 000 in the just-ended first batch of Bulela-Ditswe, the party has said.
BDP conducted primary elections in eighteen (18) opposition held constituencies this past Saturday an exercise which the party said was successful. BDP Secretary General Mpho Balopi revealed this week that the party spent in the region of P669 000 in the primaries. He stated that the party had to spend such an amount to enhance its inner party democracy.
“Democracy in its nature is expensive which is why we have spent such an amount. It is not only that we have also had to channel other resources so that we could deliver a fair, transparent and peaceful election,” said Balopi adding that they managed to deliver free and fair elections despite a few hiccups. At this point Balopi said he could not project how much would be needed for the party to conduct its second batch of Bulela-Ditswe later in the year where a fierce battle is expected in 39 BDP held constituencies.
He explained that the spending would be done reasonably. The secretary general said they would be responsive to the situation. In the primaries that were held over the weekend, losers from about three constituencies have expressed their intentions to protest the results.
The constituencies are Gaborone Bonninton South where Christian Nthuba got 865 votes beating Pelonomi Bantsi who got 629; Molepolole South, Shima Monageng is protesting Kabo Morwaeng’s 2693 against his 1844 votes while in Francistown South Modiri Jojo Lucas’s 906 votes is protested by Khumongwana Maoto who got 496 votes and Lamodimo Dikomang who managed 306 votes. According to Balopi those who are protesting the elections know the processes in place that need to be followed.
“We have the retaining officers who will compile reports and forward them to Electoral Board which will evaluate and advice the Central Committee accordingly. Those who believe there were irregularities will have to follow those processes. There would be no emotions used because we would be relying on our Constitution, Rules of our primary elections, Code of Conduct for candidates and democrats,” he said when officially announcing winners of the primaries.
He was however quick to point out that the announcement should not be concluded as having pre-empted the outcome of any protest. Balopi pointed out that the few hiccups that were realised in the past weekend primaries were learning curves for the party to ensure that it does its best in August this year when conducting primaries in the BDP constituencies.