DOUBLE STANDARDS
Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) leaders and those of their affiliates in the Alliance for Progressives (AP), the Botswana Progressive Front (BPF), Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP), must practise what they preach to the ruling party.
This is the position of other opposition political parties who were reacting to the ongoing tussle between the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and UDC on the matter of transparency of electoral processes. The ongoing legal showdown between the two emanates from the demand by the UDC for the IEC to be transparent to stakeholders such as the political parties. The UDC wants the IEC to allow political parties to monitor the process of voter registration in the name of transparency. While the different leaders support the UDC's position, they however express disappointment that the same call for transparency is never done within their own parties as they too are often accused of electoral fraud. The BNF especially, is accused of blatant electoral irregularities that saw the party eventually split in what would lead to the formation of a new party, Botswana Labour Party (BLP).
Adding weight to this call for opposition parties to practise what they preach, former BNF veteran, Dr Moiseraele Dibeela, who along with others left the BNF to found the BLP, said that if the culture of democracy should be experienced in the IEC as the UDC insists, it should also be evident in the BNF and all the UDC affiliates.
“Unfortunately, some of us had to leave the BNF which is an affiliate of the UDC because of a democracy deficit in the party. I agree entirely with the position of the UDC as it demands transparency in the IEC. However, it is essential for political parties to themselves practice what they preach by ensuring that democracy is their ‘home’ culture. In Setswana we say, 'Mo laya kgosi o a bo a e itaela,' which is the equivalent of 'What is good for the goose is good for the gander.'"
For the deputy secretary general of the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP), Tiroyaone Ntsima, democracy is not an option. “Admittedly, democracy is very expensive especially because to nurture it, members leading the various structures, must undergo training. Unlike government which has access to national resources, for us as the opposition, in as much as we nurture democracy, we are constrained by shortage of resources. We endeavour to practise what we preach to the ruling party,” Ntsima said.
“The BCP is a party anchored on democratic values since inception. For example, not only have we held congress and primary elections without fail. The said elections have been transparent. We have always practised what we preach,” boasted the party information and publicity secretary, Dr Mpho Pheko.
Another former BNF veteran who preferred anonymity expressed dismay at what he terms the social media ululations for the UDC leadership following the ongoing legal tussle between the UDC and the IEC as the UDC demands transparency in the voter registration process.
“Something about this legal battle had given me a feeling that something of that nature had happened before," he said, adding that it then dawned on him later that some UDC leaders were suspects in the allegations that the BNF elective congress elections of July 2022 were rigged at the expense of Baatlhodi Molatlhegi and his team.
He recalls that the BNF voters' roll was kept away from Molatlhegi and his supporters to make sure he does not win. When Molatlhegi and his campaign team expressed disappointment at the lack of transparency in the central committee elections which they complained lacked integrity, they were accused of being bad losers before they were slapped with suspensions and, later, expulsions.
“Some of the victims of the witch-hunting exercise were Kaboyaone Sedimo and Mokgweetsi Kgosipula. This was after some in the BNF leadership were caught red-handed at the BNF party office around midnight printing t-shirts," he said, adding that the same BNF officials now have the nerve to claim IEC is not transparent, and even worse, there are people praising them for their act of hypocrisy.
"The most interesting part for me is that someone who doesn't believe in free and fair elections is in court making a case for free and fair elections. This is a comedy show,” he stated.
Attempts to interview other party leaders on this matter, being Lawrence Ookeditse of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Ketlhalefile Motshegwa of the Botswana National Front (BNF) and Wynter Mmolotsi of the Alliance for
Progressives (AP), were futile since none picked his phone.
This is the position of other opposition political parties who were reacting to the ongoing tussle between the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and UDC on the matter of transparency of electoral processes. The ongoing legal showdown between the two emanates from the demand by the UDC for the IEC to be transparent to stakeholders such as the political parties. The UDC wants the IEC to allow political parties to monitor the process of voter registration in the name of transparency. While the different leaders support the UDC's position, they however express disappointment that the same call for transparency is never done within their own parties as they too are often accused of electoral fraud. The BNF especially, is accused of blatant electoral irregularities that saw the party eventually split in what would lead to the formation of a new party, Botswana Labour Party (BLP).
Adding weight to this call for opposition parties to practise what they preach, former BNF veteran, Dr Moiseraele Dibeela, who along with others left the BNF to found the BLP, said that if the culture of democracy should be experienced in the IEC as the UDC insists, it should also be evident in the BNF and all the UDC affiliates.
“Unfortunately, some of us had to leave the BNF which is an affiliate of the UDC because of a democracy deficit in the party. I agree entirely with the position of the UDC as it demands transparency in the IEC. However, it is essential for political parties to themselves practice what they preach by ensuring that democracy is their ‘home’ culture. In Setswana we say, 'Mo laya kgosi o a bo a e itaela,' which is the equivalent of 'What is good for the goose is good for the gander.'"
For the deputy secretary general of the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP), Tiroyaone Ntsima, democracy is not an option. “Admittedly, democracy is very expensive especially because to nurture it, members leading the various structures, must undergo training. Unlike government which has access to national resources, for us as the opposition, in as much as we nurture democracy, we are constrained by shortage of resources. We endeavour to practise what we preach to the ruling party,” Ntsima said.
“The BCP is a party anchored on democratic values since inception. For example, not only have we held congress and primary elections without fail. The said elections have been transparent. We have always practised what we preach,” boasted the party information and publicity secretary, Dr Mpho Pheko.
Another former BNF veteran who preferred anonymity expressed dismay at what he terms the social media ululations for the UDC leadership following the ongoing legal tussle between the UDC and the IEC as the UDC demands transparency in the voter registration process.
“Something about this legal battle had given me a feeling that something of that nature had happened before," he said, adding that it then dawned on him later that some UDC leaders were suspects in the allegations that the BNF elective congress elections of July 2022 were rigged at the expense of Baatlhodi Molatlhegi and his team.
He recalls that the BNF voters' roll was kept away from Molatlhegi and his supporters to make sure he does not win. When Molatlhegi and his campaign team expressed disappointment at the lack of transparency in the central committee elections which they complained lacked integrity, they were accused of being bad losers before they were slapped with suspensions and, later, expulsions.
“Some of the victims of the witch-hunting exercise were Kaboyaone Sedimo and Mokgweetsi Kgosipula. This was after some in the BNF leadership were caught red-handed at the BNF party office around midnight printing t-shirts," he said, adding that the same BNF officials now have the nerve to claim IEC is not transparent, and even worse, there are people praising them for their act of hypocrisy.
"The most interesting part for me is that someone who doesn't believe in free and fair elections is in court making a case for free and fair elections. This is a comedy show,” he stated.
Attempts to interview other party leaders on this matter, being Lawrence Ookeditse of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Ketlhalefile Motshegwa of the Botswana National Front (BNF) and Wynter Mmolotsi of the Alliance for
Progressives (AP), were futile since none picked his phone.
