Is Bulela Ditswe the devil to undo the BDP?
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday April 25, 2014 11:16
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Tonota South Legislator, Pono Moatlhodi, and former minister and Lentsweletau/Mmopane Member of Parliament (MP), Moeng Pheto tendered their resignations this week.
Newcomers into BDP politics Thapelo Olopeng, a well-known friend of President Ian Khamas, and acting Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Vincent Seretse, who beat Pheto, ousted Moatlhodi.
Moatlhodi has since joined the Botswana National Front (BNF) whilst Pheto has become an independent candidate.
As if this spectacle was not enough for the BDP, another political hullabaloo emerged in Gaborone Bonnington North constituency where party diehards fell out of favour with their parliamentary candidate, Robert Masitara. A recent constituency meeting called by the constituents reportedly recommended that Masitara be re-called as the party candidate.
Some party constituents had raised the alarm that Masitara was out to de-campaign the party that he wants to represent, hence a need to recall him.
However, all these efforts were for nought after BDP confirmed Masitara would run on the party ticket this week.
As for the duo of Moatlhodi and Pheto, they left the party crying foul that the leadership of the BDP had failed to give them a chance to be heard. They had prayed for re-runs citing irregularities.
Tonota North constituency parliamentary candidate loser, Onkabetse Dan appeared before the party disciplinary committee this week on a charge of misconduct. Dan has been on suspension from the party for 60 days. Yesterday, Dan resigned from the BDP and, in a story carried somewhere in this edition, he said the party ignored his protests against incumbent MP, Fidelis Molao, who had won the primaries.
Equally, in the Gaborone Bonnington South constituency, Christian Nthuba was slapped with a 60-day suspension from the party and is yet to appear before the disciplinary committee. He was challenging the area MP, Botsalo Ntuane.
Since last year, the BDP secretariat has been inundated with Bulela Ditswe appeals from almost all the 57 constituencies.
In the Francistown-West constituency, the BDP failed to field a candidate in a by-election that was won by the opposition Botswana Congress Party (BCP) in January 25 this year.
Whyte Marobela, a parliamentary candidate in Francistown West last year took the BDP to court for failing to hear his primary elections appeal.
He too cited irregularities in Bulela Ditswe, which Ignatius Moswaane won. The High Court last year barred the BDP from fielding a candidate in the by-election. The BDP has appealed the decision of the Marobela judgement and they are only waiting for their day in court.
Since 2003, Bulela Ditswe has apparently sown seeds of discontent, internal wrangling and left deep divisions within the ruling party during election years.
In most cases it is the flawed procedure of the primary election system that left many hearts bleeding.
Although, they could not precisely be quantified, the party has recorded many protests from its 57 constituencies as giants fell in the primaries.
Amongst the giants that fell in the primaries are Ministers Phandu Skelemani, Lebonaamang Mokalake, Dr John Seakgosing, Peter Siele and Ndelu Seretse.
Assistant Ministers, Oreeditse Molebatsi, Dr Gloria Somolekae and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Pono Moatlhodi also fell by the wayside.
In recognition of Bulela Ditswe troubles, President Ian Khama had previously encouraged BDP members to avoid bitter clashes, especially at the elective congresses. Convinced that all was well in the BDP, Khama last year allowed the party to first hold an elective congress in June before holding the primary elections later in December.
It was apparent that the BDP primary elections were long won during the Maun party elective congress in July last year.
The hullabaloo from as early as the preparations for the elective congress from the party regions with some party diehards complaining suggested that procedure for selecting congress delegates was flawed.
Previously, congresses coming in general elections’ years were held under a ‘compromise’ where there will be no contest.
This was an endeavour to minimise damage inherent from the primary election debacles.
At some stage, Khama was able to convince the organs of the main party Women’s Wing and National Youth Executive Committee not to stage elections at their congresses to avoid rivalry.
Now, 11 years later, the BDP leadership is still experiencing political headaches and all fingers point to its primary elections system.
Prior to adoption of Bulela Ditswe, the BDP used a committee of 18, which decided the suitability of people seeking political office.
Now, as it was during the previous primary elections, the frustrated groups supporting the losing candidates threatened to throw their weight behind the opposition parties.
This has been common across the party’s constituencies and it forced the party leadership to travel the country putting out political fires ignited by the primaries.
Reports are abound in some areas that the ruling party’s primary election system is too open, so much that it finds itself infiltrated by the opposition parties’ operatives during the primaries.
The interests of the opposition party operatives in BDP affairs is mainly to support a ‘weak’ candidate so as to dwindle the BDP and help in enhancing the chances of the opposition in the respective areas.
BDP executive secretary, Sechele Sechele described Bulela Ditswe as the most democratic system of identifying candidates.
He was steadfast that Moatlhodi and Pheto were given a chance to be heard after presenting their appeals before the right party structures.
“After making a lot of progress with Bulela Ditswe, there was no way in which the BDP could revert to the Committee of 18 where determination of a person’s suitability is made by only a few people,” Sechele observed.
“The truth about Moatlhodi and Pheto’s cases is that they were duly listened to and it does not mean that once one is listened to, it will follow that, that person will be offered a re-run,” explained Sechele indicating that the duo’s cases were dealt with on their own merits.
He said as for Pheto, the party was able to condone his matter being filed outside the prescribed time. With Moatlhodi, the BDP spokesperson said he was listened to twice.
Peace eluding the BDP post primaries, 11 years later, Sechele said, “the party can only do much to do peace.
“Through, the party’s political, education and elections committee, the BDP continues educating party members all the time on pertinent issues”.
He said there was nothing the party could do if people were not ready to accept the results after the elections.
University of Botswana (UB) senior political science lecturer, Dr Emmanuel Botlhale described Bulela Ditswe as the most democratic and progressive tool, which promotes internal democracy.
To him, he cannot even talk of any primary elections reform that is better than Bulela Ditswe.
“It’s not about Bulela Ditswe per se that is being problematic. It’s all about how it’s applied,” said Botlhale, adding that if both the party leadership and members could follow the rules and regulations of the system to the letter, then it will serve its purpose.
The political scientist said that what people see after Bulela Ditswe is symptoms and not the actual problem.
“No one can blame the tool (Bulela Ditswe) to get the results for your poor implementation,” emphasised Botlhale.
He indicated that all the primaries protests that the party handled are symptoms and not the cause of the party troubles.
In a way, Botlhale felt that the party leadership aggravated some of its troubles, as it is clear that, “they came hard on some politicians and very soft on others”.
His analysis is that for the party leadership to remain in control it has to be “even-handed when applying the Bulela Ditswe rules and regulations”.
He cited the case of Mahalapye West constituency where a re-run was quickly arranged when no one in particular protested the results.