The BDP recently held their 59th national council and extra-ordinary congress in Palapye where their primary elections popularly known as Bulela Ditswe were among major deliberations.
Issuing the party resolutions, secretary-general (SG) of the BDP, Kavis Kario said Article 10 of the Code of Conduct for candidates of primary elections was amended to prescribe that prospective candidate of primary elections, who are also office bearers in the Youth and Women’s Wings, regional committees, and sub-committees of the CC should also resign from their positions.
“The effect was that only CC members should not resign their positions, safe for that the chairpersons of the national Youth Executive Committee and Women’s Wing being members of the central committee by virtue of their positions shall continue to serve in the CC,” he said. Masisi last year indicated that they would consider when those who intend to stand for primary elections are asked to jump off.
He said the CC of the BDP and some members in the regions and branches should not use their positions to uplift their statuses ahead of the primary elections. “There are those who are in the structures to prepare for the primary elections. There is a way we are going to go about it and we will discuss this because we want fairness at the primary elections.
Even for members of the CC who want to stand for primary elections, there will be a way,” he said at the time. The BDP has also resolved that their primary election regulations have been amended to allow that, where irregularities occur at either ward or branch levels during primary elections, there shall be a re-election only at the affected polling station.
Bulela Ditswe has historically sparked dissatisfaction and internal disputes within the BDP. The BDP entered the weekend national council and extra ordinary council divided over the controversial primary elections with some hoping the council will abandon them altogether. Kario added that the raising of appeals against primary elections results must strictly commence in writing using a prescribed form to be developed/approved by the central committee. He said the CC shall have the final prerogative of who will stand as party candidates at both local government and legislative elections in accordance with the spirit of Article 13 (b) of the primary elections regulations.
“At an appropriate time, CC shall issue a notice inviting all those who intend to stand for primary elections to express their interest in writing even when an election writ may not yet have been issued. The expression of interest will then bar those who wish to stand for primaries from standing for elections within party structures at regional, ranch and lower levels,” he highlighted.
Kario said the party has resolved that meaningful dialogue should be the theme in upcoming primary elections and the vetting process that precedes the primaries. He said in the spirit of encouraging consensus building, the party should consider inviting all interested or potential primary elections candidates to register their interest as a basis for commencing consensus building.
“The CC should decide upon the dissolution of all cell, ward and branch committees whose boundaries have been affected by the delimitation and demarcation exercises in order to pave way for the election of new and up-to-date committees,” Kario emphasised. He further added that the party encourages Cabinet ministers to engage more with party structures in order to elaborate more on government programmes and policies.
He pointed out that the CC should consider setting future national congresses dates to coincide with the President’s Day holidays, as was the case in the past, in order to allow more time for deliberations and discussions. “The party should consider embarking on mass registration in order to speed up the process. The party should change political gears and prepare for the 2024 General Election”. Kario said the BDP also encourages government to consider increasing the number of Specially Elected MPs from six to 10 in line with the increase in the number of constituencies from 57 to 61.
