The UDC dilemma
As BCP sets up separate fund raising initiative
As BNF and BCP fight for UDC hegemony, Boko's role comes under the spotlight
An undemocratic UDC can't deliver a democratic government
A decision by some Botswana Congress Party members to raise funds separately has raised eyebrows as the Umbrella for Democratic Change races against time to raise funds to help 2019 general election petitioners settle their bill.
Some members within the coalition especially Botswana National Front ( BNF) have raised concerns that this could be a ploy by BCP to only assist their own members to settle the legal bill.
Dr. Mpho Pheko who contested Gaborone Central constituency is the only BCP member who launched a petition of the elections. Most of the petitioners were from the BNF.
BNF and BCP are contracting partners of the UDC together with the Botswana People’s Party ( BPP). Ever since the outcome of last year’s national polls there has been allegations of tensions between the BNF and BCP since BCP, a newcomer in the coalition, managed to garner more seats than BNF.
The leadership of UDC has quashed the narrative but on the ground the situation has shown that this ( tension) has potential of driving the two parties apart.
This week it emerged that some within the UDC are not happy with the establishment of the BCP bank account at ABSA where the party members are contributing money while there is a specific account with Bayford and Associates law firm where donations towards the petitions are made. It is feared that BCP will raise funds only towards helping their members and defeating the purpose of the Trust Fund account set up for the donations.
This publication has established that in the BCP ABSA account Exco officials and Members of Parliament each contributed P500.00. Other members of the party contributed between P200.00 and P500.00. The UDC has raised P44 288.98 through the Trust Account and the Short
Messages ( SMS) initiative since February to October this year.
This is against a Court of Appeal bill of P565 000.00 minus the High Court and Independent Electoral Commission ( IEC) bills, which are yet to be availed. Dennis Alexander who doubles as UDC and BCP Treasurer said they are worried about the snail’s pace in raising funds. He said the BCP account is not a special account made to assist anyone in particular. He said it is an initiative by BCP members and once the money has been raised it would be channeled to where it is supposed to go.
“Everyone can come up with an initiative that is aimed at assisting. So, what the BCP members did is not anything wrong. The account is not a special account. Once the money has been raised it would go where it is intended for.
“We welcome all other initiatives out there but as the leadership we have agreed that my office of the treasury should be made aware of any initiative out there. “I will be following on any initiative that is made so that me and my team could reconcile books and continue to give update on the money raised.
“All the initiatives will be held under the office of the treasury going forward because we want to be as transparent as possible,” he said. Alexander said the bill is not for UDC but the UDC has taken a decision to assist the petitioners. He called on members of the public to make donations stating that the petitions were not for those who lost elections but for the country’s democracy.
The treasurer revealed that summons have been issued to some of the petitioners and hoped that they would be assisted within reasonable time to settle the bills. Alexander admitted that the number of contributors has been dropping over months adding that they will analyse this trend and come up with ways of encouraging people to contribute so that enough could be raised within reasonable time.