Fed up BDP backbench demands answers
Opposition recruits preferred for positions over hardworking democrats Tsogwane and Kably accused of distorted MPs message
Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) Members of Parliament are not happy at the way the leadership is running the party, Botswana Guardian has established.
The furious MPs now demand a full- day retreat with the party top brass to iron out their issues which they believe have been neglected, some of which they have raised on numerous occasions during the party’s weekly Parliamentary Caucuses.
During a heated backbench caucus meeting chaired by Government Whip Liakat Kably, early this week, MPs expressed concern that the party leadership is ignoring long serving and hard- working members of the party for positions in preference to new members who joined the party from opposition.
These positions are at the party’s regional, branch, ward and cell levels and also extend to Parliament and Cabinet.
“The issue is that the president and his Central Committee seem to be more concerned and interested in making opposition members who joined the party to feel more welcome. They do this at the expense of long and hard- working members of the party who have done a lot for this party,” said one MP.
The MPs indicated that they have tasked Kably to relay the message to the party leadership as they could not do that as there was no party caucus this week due to other commitments by members of the cabinet.
The MPs also want President Mokgweetsi Masisi to put a leash on his cabinet to desist from visiting their constituencies without informing them ( backbench). According to the MPs this shows a level of disrespect for them and their constituents. They also demand answers on why government seems to be slow in delivering developments in their constituencies while pledges were made in the build- up to the 2019 national polls.
Another MP who attended the caucus revealed that the bigger problem is that the opposition recruits have been allowed to lead various committees and structures while they have not yet fully grasped the BDP culture. Their argument is that this arrangement will do more harm than good.
The MPs want the newcomers to first settle in and learn the BDP culture and history and processes before they could be entrusted with running the party at any level in the party structure.
“We want an all- day meeting with the president and his central committee. Our argument is that this all- day caucus or meeting will give us time to interrogate the problems within the party and government.
“We are worried that the people we have been sending to the President such as our Whip and Chairman who is also Vice President Slumber Tsogwane have been distorting our messages,” he said.
Another burning issue that annoys the backbench is the president’s choice of his cabinet members. They argue that some of his choices are making it difficult to match the robust debates from the opposition.
According to the MPs who spoke to this publication, the president had focused more on qualifications in appointing his cabinet and not scrutinising the MPs’ CVs so as to get the best to serve in his cabinet.
“Even the decision to include people who were recruited from opposition into the cabinet is worrisome as it shows they were promised such positions. In terms of their performance, we cannot say they are doing wonders but instead are failing which makes the entire system to fail.
“We have members of the backbench, who even looking at their CV you will find a rich history of their work, understanding of business and personnel and governance”.
While Kably confirms the meeting with disgruntled members, he denies some demands presented before him by this publication.
He said MPs had requested to have a retreat to engage with the party leader. Kably who is also MP for Letlhakeng- Lephephe said some of the issues discussed are very sensitive and he could not talk about them.
He confirmed the concern over opposition recruits being allowed to take positions of leadership without having been well oriented into the BDP.
According to the Government Whip the issue of relations between MPs and ministers regarding constituencies was once addressed by the president together with the issue of working together in Parliament for Bills and motions.
“But it seems the two issues are still continuing. The president has warned that there is need for all of us to work as a unit in Parliament and outside. Now the MPs are still worried that they hear some of the decisions taken on Motions and Bills for the first time in Parliament and are expected to support the ministers on their decisions but with limited or no knowledge which is also not good for the image of the party,” said Kably who dismissed that he has failed the MPs in relaying their message.