- He is alledgedly torn between UDC & BDP
- Arone reportedly eyes Okavango East under BDP ticket
- He could not confirm nor deny the reports
- BDP North West Region aware about Arone’s intended ‘return’
- Region says Arone never left the BDP
- Arone was recently welcomed to UDC under BPF
There are reports, though unconfirmed that former Okavango Member of Parliament Bagalatia Arone is considering staying put at the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and contest the newly demarcated Okavango East constituency in the next general elections.
Reached for comment Arone, could not confirm nor deny the reports but only briefly sad he is not ready to speak to the media as he is still weighing his options and make his final decision regarding his next political move. “I will tell you soon about my plans not today,’’ before hanging up the phone.
To all intents and purposes, though not formalised and also judging by his behaviour, Arone had ditched the ruling party for the opposition. Most recently, he was paraded before a UDC rally in Maun as a parliamentary candidate for the coalition in the Okavango come 2024 general elections as a BPF member.
However, a BDP member in Okavango who is also eyeing the same constituency, has said Arone has reportedly told him about his intention to run for the new constituency and therefore called for the member’s support instead of challenging him as he has a backing of some party leaders.
BDP North West Regional Chairperson Reaboka Mbulawa told this publication that he is indeed aware about Arone’s intention to ‘return’ back to the ruling party confirming that the latter (Arone) recently called him regarding the issue.
“He told me recently that he wants to contest in the new constituency, You should recall that Arone has not written any letter resigning from the party so to my knowledge and according to records he is still a member of the BDP. However, he owes the party leadership an apology to show botho,” Mbulawa said.
Meanwhile the BDP Secretary General Kavis Kario said while such rumours have reached his office, they have not received any formal communication from Arone regarding his intention to contest the elections under the party ticket, and until then they will not consider him as part of them.
Kario further explained that there are procedures that Arone will have to follow if at all he wants to come back to the BDP. He added that two formal letters should be submitted to the party structures requesting to be re-instated as well as the one that shows he has resigned from his current party (if at all he had any).
Kario also indicated that he is not aware if at all Arone resigned from BDP but he said the latter’s character and behavior towards BDP changed after the 2019 general elections where he lost the then Okavango constituency.
Meanwhile Kario has stressed that Arone will have to go through all party processes for him to be approved by BDP members in the constituency as the Okavango East candidate. “Our procedures are clear, if Arone can be re-admitted into the party, he will have to serve his two-year suspension as per our constitution and this means he will not take part in any party structures,” he explained.
However, Kario said there a provision for a waiver by the central committee should the branch and the region bail him in the event he is needed the most.
