BCP resolves to court UDC
Oarabile Mosikare | Thursday July 23, 2015 14:54
The BCP held its 7th national elective congress over the President’s Day holidays, from the 18th to the 20th of July at Seepapitso Senior Secondary School in Kanye.
Speaking after the congress, the newly appointed spokesperson Dithapelo Keorapetse said that the congress had adopted party president Dumelang Saleshando’s speech, which emphasised the need to engage other opposition parties to not only unseat the ruling party, but also ameliorate the lives of Batswana.
“The need for a new resolution on the same therefore didn’t arise. The party will continue to work with other opposition parties at councils and Parliament to hold the ruling party and the government accountable and to further socio-economic development and democracy of Botswana,” he said.
Keorapetse further said that the central committee would map a way forward with all the necessary role players. “We will decide on the best way forward and engage members at wards, constituencies, regions and other national fora like clusters, leadership fora and conferences and extraordinary congress if need be, throughout the negotiation process of opposition cooperation,” he said.
The Selebi-Phikwe legislator added that the exercise would “internally be conducted pursuant to the BCP intra-party democratic tenets of debate, criticism and self-criticism, mandate and collective decisions. Participatory democracy whose political leadership is transparent, accountable and responsive will guide us through the process.”
Keorapetse also said the congress also discussed and adopted the speech by Saleshando and the reports by the then secretary general, Kesitegile Gobotswang and the treasurer, Dennis Alexandra. He noted that party members had emphasised the need for recruitment drive, building and strengthening internal structures, party administration and resources mobilisation.
Meanwhile, Saleshando was elected unopposed as the president to serve a second five year term. Tshegofatso Raditlhokwa was also elected unopposed as deputy secretary general and Alexandra for treasurer. For the position of vice president, Gobotswang narrowly defeated former party spokesperson, Taolo Lucas. Gobotswang garnered 467 votes against Lucas’s 442 votes. Another closely contested position was that of the secretary general which pitted former Kanye North MP, Kentse Rammidi against Philip Monowe. Rammidi got 473 votes while Monowe got 433.
Motsei Rapelana took the position of party chairperson, beating Philip Bulawa by 540 votes to 373. Keorapetse garnered 539 votes to be the party’s publicity secretary, beating Ditiro Majadibodu who walked away with 367.
Keorapetse said the elections were free, fair and credible, and reflected the will of the people. “Our intra-party democracy principles of elected leadership that is elected, re-elected and recallable were upheld,” he said.
Other members of the central committee include the president of Women’s League Daisy Bathusi and Youth League president Tumiso Rakgare, chairperson of the 14 regions and the representatives of councillors and Members of Parliament.