BDP Should Conduct Presidency Elections Peacefully

Monitor Editor | Monday April 1, 2019 11:41

It is historic in the sense that for the first time in the history of the BDP, its president will be challenged for the party’s top seat.

There is anxiety and excitement around the Special Congress. It is the Mmantshwabisi of politics as everyone wishes they were there. 

Opposition want the congress to snowball into the birth of a new party, so they are excited. The public is anxious as they are not sure what the future holds for the country.

Serowe South Member of Parliament, Venson-Moitoi’s decision to challenge President Mokgweetsi Masisi for the presidency of the BDP has caused suspicions and divisions within the ruling party.

With all that has been happening, the situation has become so tense that some citizens are fearful that the Special Congress might end up in violence.

The expectation is that the elections will be conducted in a free and fair manner. The BDP is the ruling party and as such it should be exemplary in the way it conducts its elections next week.

Many strategies have been implored during the campaigns, and there has been a lot of backstabbing and backlashing amongst members of the ruling party. Why fears of violence?

The stakes are high, there has been a lot of bickering, to a point that it is difficult to see the two camps uniting, after the elections and concentrate on leading the nation at large. 

Both camps have pointed accusatory fingers at each other, and the likelihood of the losing camp not accepting the results is quite high. We implore both camps to go into the elections, having prepared themselves fully that there is going to be a winner as there is going to be a loser.

We plead with the BDP to ensure that there is no violence during or after the elections. Our country is one of the few African countries that have not been troubled by major pre or post election violence. Candidates who don’t accept results have in the past been responsible enough to use to party structures to register their concerns or approach the courts.

Against this backdrop we humbly plead with the BDP that should a scenario that the losing camp is not satisfied with the results emerge, they should find a non-violent way to address the issue.

Both President Masisi and Mma Moitoi are exercising their democratic rights by standing for the BDP presidency, and the same rights should be extended to all democrats without intimidation.

 The historical race for the BDP presidency has many people on the urge, trying to use regional nominations and endorsements to predict who the winner will be. Many have placed President Masisi as leading based on the high numbers of regional nominations and endorsements.  While we wait in anticipation of who will emerge victorious, lets do so in a calm and responsible manner.