For its failure to promote inner democracy in the Maun East constituency primary elections where party members were not given the opportunity to choose their desired parliamentary candidate, Botswana Congress Party (BCP) Secretary General Goretetse Kekgonegile has taken advantage of the chaotic situation and called on BDP members in the constituency to vote for BCP.
Trouble and confusion for Maun East Constituency on the ruling party side began three months ago when the central committee released a list of all council and parliamentary candidates who had been approved to contest for the primary elections. Mysteriously, the list of 61 constituencies had a blank in relation to the Maun East parliamentary candidate, as only council candidates were listed.
Speaking during the launch of Boseja South Matshwane ward council candidate Itumeleng Kelebetseng over the weekend, Kekgonegile called on BDP members of Maun East to reform and vote for BCP during the coming general elections.
“The party has already failed you; it did not give you an opportunity to decide between Reaboka Mbulawa and Konstantinos Markus who is the candidate you wanted, we have heard rumours that they will replace them with Oateng Sethodi for the candidacy,” Kekgonegile said.
Kekgonegile said BDP members should demonstrate to the chosen candidate for Maun East by the BDP central committee that being a favourite of the party’s leadership does not mean the candidate is a favourite of the electorates.
He further noted that a tactic to de-campaign Kelebetseng through his origins from Serowe should be discarded, citing that Kelebetseng has done significant positive impact since he took over as the chairman of North West District Council.
Maun West parliamentary candidate, Caterpillar Hikuama encouraged democrats to refrain from supporting political parties like they are supporting football teams, highlighting that if a football team loses nothing will disadvantage their lives however he indicated that if they vote for an in-effective political party they will be negatively affected.
“If you vote BDP and it wins, you will reap the consequences as already there are shortages of medicine, poverty and high unemployment rate. It is upon you democrats to decide on how you want your lives to turn out after the general elections,” Hikuama said.
Hikuama called on democrats to vote for Kelebetseng indicating that he stood by the party’s leadership when the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) suspended them from their coalition.
Meanwhile Kelebetseng who pleaded for Boseja South constituents to vote for him assured them that he will not desert them once they bring him back to council. He further assured them that he will continue advocating for them and continue where he left once council is dissolved.
