- Drags Secretary General in constituency fights -Prays that the party Secretary General intervenes in Mmadinare constituency - Such allegations can only be made by uninformed self-serving interests - Kario
Tensions continue to grow in Mmadinare as the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) prepares for its primary elections.
The BDP is expected to issue a writ once all processes of elections for Cell, Ward, Branch and Regional Committees are concluded. The party is now already receiving complaints of irregularities in the processes used to elect or coopt members in the aforementioned committees. This process came about after the party took a resolution in Palapye last year that all those who are interested in participating in Bulela-Ditswe should resign positions they are holding in any party structure.
Area MP for Mmadinare, who is also Assistant Minister of Agriculture, has taken a swipe at the party Secretary General, Kavis Kario for allowing violation of the party’s Constitution. Molebatsi is said to have penned the complaint letter to the Central Committee after most positions in the structures have been won by those who are supporters of his expected challenger, Specially Elected MP and Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kefentse Mzwinila.
In the letter, Molebatsi stated that the Mmadinare Constituency, like most constituencies in the country were affected by the delimitation exercise. He explained that both the Regional and Branch Structures were as a matter of fact affected in that most of the office bearers who were elected into office, either resigned or moved to the new Tswapong North Constituency. He stated that the Regional structures were not spared as they were also affected due to resignations of office bearers, either opting to stand for the 2024 Bulela-Ditswe or pursuing interests outside politics.
“What we contend is patent and glaring anomaly that new members have been swiftly coopted into both the Regional and Branch Committees. At the Regional structure level we are aware that this was done with the knowledge of the Party Secretary General and we still contend that this move is against the mandatory provisions of the party constitution. It is important for us as a party to at all times adhere strictly to democratic norms and be slaves to our constitution,” reads the letter.
The Assistant Minister revealed that at Branch level the decision to co-opt new members was taken swiftly and secretly without the consultation of some remaining Branch Committee members viz Councilors and Constituency MP. "We contend that coopting into office where the vacant positions exceed more than a third of the committee positions, is in contravention of the Party Constitution and in particular Clause Number 16.10," said Molebatsi.
The letter dated 20th February 2024, which was copied to Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC) Chairman, BOMASE Region Chairman, Mmadinare Constituency Branch Chairman and Member of Central Committee (MCC) from BOMASE Region, explains that the Clause categorically and unequivocally states that, "In the event of vacancies requiring to be filled, exceeding one third, an Extra Ordinary Congress relevant to that organ shall be convened as soon as reasonably practical for purpose of only an election to fill the vacancies in question." The upshot of the above quoted provision is that such a structure will not have constitutional power and/or authority to quorate and or take decisions on any matter, including the power to co-opt. It is argued that the only power and/or authority it can exercise is that of convocation of an extra-ordinary congress solely for the purposes of electing a new structure.
“In consideration of these grave constitutional violations, we earnestly beseech the Central Committee to set aside the decision to co-opt into office members at both Regional and Mmadinare Branch Committee and to facilitate the convocation of an Extra Ordinary Congress for both Regional and Branch Committee as soon as reasonably practical as the Party Constitution dictates. In our view constitutional breaches should not, under any circumstances, be condoned.”
Molebatsi said in furtherance of its ulterior motives and in total disregard of the mandatory provisions of our constitution, the said illegitimate Branch Committee went around purporting to conduct cell and ward elections. The purported election too were a complete sham, he added.
In response, BDP Secretary General, Kavis Kario berated the complainant: "If they have been made to you, would be frivolous, regrettable and ignorant of Party procedures and processes. The Secretary General is many layers away from the affairs of branches and would in no way be capable of interfering with branch processes. Complaints about the conduct of affairs or elections of branches are routed through capable constitutional fora such as the branch disciplinary committees, the Regional Committees and PEEC."
Kario stated that the Central Committee may only act on the recommendations of and by hand of the above structures. He said it is common knowledge that following the demarcation of wards and constituencies and owing to the lapse of mandate of most branch and regional committees, the Central Committee recently appointed its deployed members and PEEC to supervise the reconfiguration (including all appeals thereof) of structures throughout the country and the exercise has been very successful thus far.
"Such allegations can only be made by uninformed self serving interests who tend to believe that the Central Committee and/or the Party exist to serve narrow individual interests for positions within the Party or as representatives of the Party. The allegation is rude and undermines the authority of the Constitutional structures of the Party and its elected officials," Kario fumed.
The BDP is expected to issue a writ once all processes of elections for Cell, Ward, Branch and Regional Committees are concluded. The party is now already receiving complaints of irregularities in the processes used to elect or coopt members in the aforementioned committees. This process came about after the party took a resolution in Palapye last year that all those who are interested in participating in Bulela-Ditswe should resign positions they are holding in any party structure.
Area MP for Mmadinare, who is also Assistant Minister of Agriculture, has taken a swipe at the party Secretary General, Kavis Kario for allowing violation of the party’s Constitution. Molebatsi is said to have penned the complaint letter to the Central Committee after most positions in the structures have been won by those who are supporters of his expected challenger, Specially Elected MP and Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kefentse Mzwinila.
In the letter, Molebatsi stated that the Mmadinare Constituency, like most constituencies in the country were affected by the delimitation exercise. He explained that both the Regional and Branch Structures were as a matter of fact affected in that most of the office bearers who were elected into office, either resigned or moved to the new Tswapong North Constituency. He stated that the Regional structures were not spared as they were also affected due to resignations of office bearers, either opting to stand for the 2024 Bulela-Ditswe or pursuing interests outside politics.
“What we contend is patent and glaring anomaly that new members have been swiftly coopted into both the Regional and Branch Committees. At the Regional structure level we are aware that this was done with the knowledge of the Party Secretary General and we still contend that this move is against the mandatory provisions of the party constitution. It is important for us as a party to at all times adhere strictly to democratic norms and be slaves to our constitution,” reads the letter.
The Assistant Minister revealed that at Branch level the decision to co-opt new members was taken swiftly and secretly without the consultation of some remaining Branch Committee members viz Councilors and Constituency MP. "We contend that coopting into office where the vacant positions exceed more than a third of the committee positions, is in contravention of the Party Constitution and in particular Clause Number 16.10," said Molebatsi.
The letter dated 20th February 2024, which was copied to Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC) Chairman, BOMASE Region Chairman, Mmadinare Constituency Branch Chairman and Member of Central Committee (MCC) from BOMASE Region, explains that the Clause categorically and unequivocally states that, "In the event of vacancies requiring to be filled, exceeding one third, an Extra Ordinary Congress relevant to that organ shall be convened as soon as reasonably practical for purpose of only an election to fill the vacancies in question." The upshot of the above quoted provision is that such a structure will not have constitutional power and/or authority to quorate and or take decisions on any matter, including the power to co-opt. It is argued that the only power and/or authority it can exercise is that of convocation of an extra-ordinary congress solely for the purposes of electing a new structure.
“In consideration of these grave constitutional violations, we earnestly beseech the Central Committee to set aside the decision to co-opt into office members at both Regional and Mmadinare Branch Committee and to facilitate the convocation of an Extra Ordinary Congress for both Regional and Branch Committee as soon as reasonably practical as the Party Constitution dictates. In our view constitutional breaches should not, under any circumstances, be condoned.”
Molebatsi said in furtherance of its ulterior motives and in total disregard of the mandatory provisions of our constitution, the said illegitimate Branch Committee went around purporting to conduct cell and ward elections. The purported election too were a complete sham, he added.
In response, BDP Secretary General, Kavis Kario berated the complainant: "If they have been made to you, would be frivolous, regrettable and ignorant of Party procedures and processes. The Secretary General is many layers away from the affairs of branches and would in no way be capable of interfering with branch processes. Complaints about the conduct of affairs or elections of branches are routed through capable constitutional fora such as the branch disciplinary committees, the Regional Committees and PEEC."
Kario stated that the Central Committee may only act on the recommendations of and by hand of the above structures. He said it is common knowledge that following the demarcation of wards and constituencies and owing to the lapse of mandate of most branch and regional committees, the Central Committee recently appointed its deployed members and PEEC to supervise the reconfiguration (including all appeals thereof) of structures throughout the country and the exercise has been very successful thus far.
"Such allegations can only be made by uninformed self serving interests who tend to believe that the Central Committee and/or the Party exist to serve narrow individual interests for positions within the Party or as representatives of the Party. The allegation is rude and undermines the authority of the Constitutional structures of the Party and its elected officials," Kario fumed.
