Pheto resigns as BDP suspends him
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday April 11, 2014 13:02
When the BDP executive secretary Sechele Sechele served Pheto’s representative with the letter of suspension, he was answered with a resignation letter from the legislator, on the spot.
The BDP had called Pheto to serve him with a suspension letter of 60 days pending disciplinary hearing and the representative also handed over Pheto’s letter.
In his resignation dated April 8, Pheto expressed regret and sadness for being forced to resign so as to contest as an independent candidate for Lentsweletau/Mmopane in October.
“I cannot compromise on strong beliefs I hold in democracy, fairness, justice and equal treatment of candidates as stipulated in BDP Bulela-Ditswe Rules and Regulations.
I can only hope that the President of the party will ensure that the cabal that elbows other bona fide BDP members out is contained in Botswana’s national interests,” Pheto wrote.
The BDP wanted to suspend Pheto on account that there is strong evidence implicating him in serious misconduct and subversive activities involving distribution and dissemination of materials indicating that he had launched a political campaign.
A letter written by BDP president Ian Khama dated April 9, 2014 stated: “In doing so, you will be standing against a duly elected BDP parliamentary candidate, and consequently, this is calculated as undermining and working against the interest of the party, in violation of your fundamental duties and responsibilities as a member of the BDP under the party constitution.”
Khama said Pheto’s conduct is also contravention of and amounts to a flagrant breach of the BDP primary elections code of conduct, which amongst other things provides that as an unsuccessful candidate, he is bound to support the winning candidate. Khama said Pheto was also required to consistently demonstrate commitment, loyalty and support to the party, which includes rallying behind the party and all its elections candidates in their constituency.
Khama expressed sadness that Pheto appeared to have chosen to place his own personal and selfish interests above those of the people who had elected him, and above the interest s of the party.
Both Sechele and Pheto have confirmed Pheto’s resignation.
Sechele further stated that they were investigating some MPs who are having secretive meetings with opposition parties.
“We cannot have members whom we are not sure whether they are ours or not. It is possible that these people will share our information with opposition parties,” Sechele said.
One such MP who has gone public about having been involved in negotiations with opposition parties, first with the Botswana Congress Party, then the Botswana National Front, is Tonota legislator and deputy Speaker of Parliament, Pono Moatlhodi.
Moatlhodi’s talks between the BNF, which will be contesting the October general elections under the opposition coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change, has rubbed some BDP members the wrong way as they want him to be disciplined.
Recently, Thapelo Olopeng who defeated Moatlhodi during the BDP primary elections last year wrote to the party leadership to take action against him for talking with the opposition. Moatlhodi responded by saying he has the right of freedom of association.
It has also since emerged that there were other MPs and losing candidates engaged in talks with opposition parties and the BDP is pressuring them to stop lest they go the Pheto way.