……as the party heads to primaries
With reported internal feuds already rocking the ruling Botswana Democratic Party ahead of its primary elections (Bulela Ditswe) leading to the 2024 General Elections, Party President Mokgweetsi Masisi has told party members to keep in mind that the party is superior to them and warned against any behavior that may destabilise the organisation.
Speaking at the BDP’s 59th National Council and Extraordinary Congress held in Palapye over the weekend, Masisi told members that they should head to the primaries with the understanding that no one’s wants or needs are more important than that of the party adding that what’s best for the country and the BDP as a collective comes first.
He requested members that when they speak for and or represent the party in the various platforms, they should always remember and be guided by that noble notion.
“Remember when you join whatsapp groups and what you type or record as a voice note, remember the party is superior to you and remember you must only write, think of, speak of, share, record things that build the party,” Masisi said calling to all democrats and every individual who stands as a pillar of the BDP, to rally together for the party and country.
“However tall, elegant, good a speaker, master strategist or wealthy you think you are, the party is superior to you,” Masisi told party members warning those who will not be successful in primaries not to gather their supporters with the intention to destroy the party.
Masisi stressed that the unity that courses through the veins of the BDP has served as the bedrock of their recent achievements, adding that it has forged a noticeable cohesion and strengths that transcend individual ambitions.
“United in purpose, we have set our party’s interests high above personal endeavours, thereby producing outcomes that tangibly uplift the lives of our fellow citizens.”
The president has also called on the party to also embrace Mindset Change, a change that he says places strong ethics and recommitment to the party. He added that this change appreciates that internal party democracy ordinarily leads to competition for positions of service not that of control and abuse of power.
“Not for positions of control and abuse of power but of service, not of mascaraing little groups that are disaffected and spend their time discussing how to undo those who are doing well, let us change.”
Among party’s resolutions from the conference, the Central Committee was granted the final prerogative of selecting party candidates at both local government and legislative elections in accordance with Article 13 (b) of the Primary Elections regulations.
The committee will then at an appropriate time issue a notice inviting all those who intended to stand for primary elections to express their interest in writing even when an election writ may not have been issued yet. The expression of interest would then bar those who wish to stand for primary elections from standing for elections within party structures at regional, branch, and lower levels.
