-Democrats accuse Masisi of failing to package BDP message -Delayed party primaries also had an effect -Masisi scorned for his unpalatable public utterances -I was riding solo, no support structure -PEEC, Comms labelled as 2024 liabilities
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) President Mokgweetsi Masisi is a leader losing grip on the party which lost last year's general election under his watch after being in power for over five (5) decades.
Masisi who will not be seeking re-election as the party president in the coming Maun congress in July this year, was caught clutching at straws trying to explain to his fellow democrats how he failed to retain power and secure his term in office.
Masisi made history by being the first BDP President to serve one term as head of state. He is currently addressing BDP members in what the party terms ‘Consultative meetings’. The party president has so far conducted or addressed four (4) regions out of the 14.
While the BDP leader seemed to have had a smooth start in the consultative meetings, things took a dramatic turn when he addressed the Gaborone Region on Sunday 26th January 2025 at Tsholofelo Community Hall in Gaborone.
The meeting ended up with no resolution or a way forward something that left most democrats frustrated. Masisi has been accused of failing the party since the day the national results for general election were announced.
What annoyed many about the October 2024 elections especially Parliamentary candidates, was Masisi’s decision to call a media conference in Gaborone to concede defeat without their knowledge and while counting was still ongoing in most parts of the country.
This is said to have demolarised some of the candidates who wanted to challenge the outcome and call for recounting in some of the polling stations.
Masisi who is left with ten (10) regions to address, faces a tough road ahead as democrats in some of the regions are eagerly waiting to tell him some of the things he failed to attend to ahead of the general election.
Sources have revealed that the Gaborone region has set the tone and fireworks are expected at Letswapo, North -West and BOMASE regions. The president will tomorrow (Saturday) together with his Central Committee, address Letswapo region in Palapye.
Issues for these constituencies are said to be Masisi’s key role in imposing candidates and refusing to listen to some of the concerns raised during the controversial primary elections among them vetting, and refusal to hear legitimate appeals.
There were about seven (7) key issues raised at the Sunday meeting which mostly placed the blame on Masisi as the head of the organisation.
According to democrats at the Gaborone regional meeting, the whole trouble for the BDP started with the delay of the primary elections, their irregularities, central committee overarching influence in the entire process and abuse of power by the president.
The failure by the party leadership to spearhead reconciliation among Bulela-Ditswe participants is said to have demolarised losers from supporting the victors. Another argument was that the packaging of the BDP message was not clear. Democrats argued that across the country the campaign was centred on the president.
He was accused of having not included other structures and candidates in the campaign. Masisi has however fought back arguing that he did not have support from party structures and democrats to deliver the argument.
Also blamed from both the president and members was the mandate execution of the party’s Communications and International Relations Committee together with the Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC).
PEEC was accused of over overstepping its boundaries by duplicating the mandate of the Electoral Board. The Communications committee is accused of failing to advise the president on public speaking and message packaging where some of the utterances were distasteful during public rallies.
Masisi has however expressed confidence that the party will go into the 2029 general election as a united entity and called on democrats to work in unison. The BDP has a series of activities lined up in the build-up to the critical elective congress.
Masisi who will not be seeking re-election as the party president in the coming Maun congress in July this year, was caught clutching at straws trying to explain to his fellow democrats how he failed to retain power and secure his term in office.
Masisi made history by being the first BDP President to serve one term as head of state. He is currently addressing BDP members in what the party terms ‘Consultative meetings’. The party president has so far conducted or addressed four (4) regions out of the 14.
While the BDP leader seemed to have had a smooth start in the consultative meetings, things took a dramatic turn when he addressed the Gaborone Region on Sunday 26th January 2025 at Tsholofelo Community Hall in Gaborone.
The meeting ended up with no resolution or a way forward something that left most democrats frustrated. Masisi has been accused of failing the party since the day the national results for general election were announced.
What annoyed many about the October 2024 elections especially Parliamentary candidates, was Masisi’s decision to call a media conference in Gaborone to concede defeat without their knowledge and while counting was still ongoing in most parts of the country.
This is said to have demolarised some of the candidates who wanted to challenge the outcome and call for recounting in some of the polling stations.
Masisi who is left with ten (10) regions to address, faces a tough road ahead as democrats in some of the regions are eagerly waiting to tell him some of the things he failed to attend to ahead of the general election.
Sources have revealed that the Gaborone region has set the tone and fireworks are expected at Letswapo, North -West and BOMASE regions. The president will tomorrow (Saturday) together with his Central Committee, address Letswapo region in Palapye.
Issues for these constituencies are said to be Masisi’s key role in imposing candidates and refusing to listen to some of the concerns raised during the controversial primary elections among them vetting, and refusal to hear legitimate appeals.
There were about seven (7) key issues raised at the Sunday meeting which mostly placed the blame on Masisi as the head of the organisation.
According to democrats at the Gaborone regional meeting, the whole trouble for the BDP started with the delay of the primary elections, their irregularities, central committee overarching influence in the entire process and abuse of power by the president.
The failure by the party leadership to spearhead reconciliation among Bulela-Ditswe participants is said to have demolarised losers from supporting the victors. Another argument was that the packaging of the BDP message was not clear. Democrats argued that across the country the campaign was centred on the president.
He was accused of having not included other structures and candidates in the campaign. Masisi has however fought back arguing that he did not have support from party structures and democrats to deliver the argument.
Also blamed from both the president and members was the mandate execution of the party’s Communications and International Relations Committee together with the Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC).
PEEC was accused of over overstepping its boundaries by duplicating the mandate of the Electoral Board. The Communications committee is accused of failing to advise the president on public speaking and message packaging where some of the utterances were distasteful during public rallies.
Masisi has however expressed confidence that the party will go into the 2029 general election as a united entity and called on democrats to work in unison. The BDP has a series of activities lined up in the build-up to the critical elective congress.
