BCP�s Dabutha unfazed by suspension
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday September 22, 2017 15:54
This is because of the agreement the party has with the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
Speaking during an interview on Thursday morning, Dabutha said she only learnt about her suspension this morning. She denied reports that she has resigned from the BCP.
“I only saw an announcement of the UDC candidate, Modala Modala, yet we have not met as the opposition in the ward to decide on the candidate. When the BCP entered into an agreement with the UDC, I went to Modala so that we can agree on what we should do but I did not receive any feedback. We went ahead as the BCP with campaigns in good faith because we knew that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that we entered into with UDC is not cast in stone but can be reconsidered given the circumstances on the ground,” she said.
It is reported that Dabutha has been actively campaigning and recruiting for the BCP since 2014 hence the electorate approached her to contest and has full support of the youth in the ward. She said regardless of the MoU it is important for members of the opposition on the ground to work as a unit so that the electorate can be involved in any decision made. “It is undemocratic to impose a candidate on the electorate on the basis of the MoU. They are the ones to choose who they prefer and they must have a say on who becomes a candidate.
There is no way we can unseat the ruling party if we are not united as opposition,” she said. She stated that she has on several occasions approached the BCP leadership to come to Tshimoyapula to address the issue of candidacy but nobody came until the IEC invited candidates for registration. She said given the efforts she made to meet the UDC candidate and the party leadership, there could have been some form of communication before the registration of candidates started. Dabutha said now that another candidate has been officially announced she will have to consult the electorate on the development and the way forward.
The BCP has since suspended Dabutha ahead of the by-election scheduled for October 7.
Dabutha is yet to be informed about the charges she faces together with the dates of the disciplinary hearing. Her conduct, according to the letter that the party wrote to her this week, is in violation of a series of constitutional provisions of the BCP.
Her entry into the race is said to be against the MoU that the BCP entered into with the UDC on the conduct of the by-elections. The MoU is such that a party which had the highest number of votes in the 2014 general elections has the right to nominate a candidate in the event of a by-election in respect of either local or central government.
The party chairperson, Motsei Rapelana said in a letter that Mmegi is in possession of that the UDC attained the highest number of votes in the last general elections and therefore it has the right to nominate and field a candidate for the October 7 by-election. It noted that as a fully-fledged member of the UDC, BCP is obliged to sell, support and canvass for votes for the candidate fielded by the UDC.
“At the Kanye 2015 elective conference of the party a resolution was taken with regard to the conclusion of MoU and a further resolution instructed the central committee to commence negotiations for the 2019 general elections with the UDC. Following the MoU conclusion, the BCP and UDC concluded their cooperation talks with the latter becoming a member of the UDC,” she said in the letter.
Rapelana further explained that a new symbol has been registered for any by-election that may arise in the intervening period before the 2019 general elections.