Masisi to face disgruntled BDP MPs

Two- day retreat scheduled for next week at State House

President Mokgweetsi Masisi has finally bowed to pressure from Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) Members of Parliament to dialogue with them about the affairs of the party and government, Botswana Guardian has established. The frustrated MPs had demanded a full day retreat with the party’s 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 Caucus. Information reaching this publication is that the president has sanctioned a two- day retreat for both cabinet and the backbench. The meeting is scheduled for May 8th and 9th, 2021. The two- day retreat which will be held at the State House comes at a time when factions are emerging within the party, a development that threatens the stability of the BDP. Some of the disgruntled ministers and backbench are said to have already started aligning themselves with the new factions. While the backbench had wanted a retreat with the party leader in the absence of ministers, Masisi decided to put the two in one room so as to iron out their differences for the good of the party. It is expected to be a highlycharged retreat following a heated backbench caucus meeting at the end of March this year chaired by Government Whip Liakat Kably, at which MPs expressed concern that the party leadership is ignoring long and hard- working members of the party for positions in preference of new members who joined the party from the opposition ranks. One of the key issues according to insiders is that the president and his Central Committee seem to be more concerned and interested in making opposition members who joined the party feel more welcome at the expense of long time and hard- working members of the party who have done a lot for the party. The MPs also want President Masisi to put a leash on his cabinet to desist from visiting their constituencies without informing them ( backbench). According to the MPs this depicts 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 burning issue that annoys the backbench is the choice of the president’s cabinet. They argue that some of his choices are making it difficult to match the robust debates from the opposition. Kably confirmed the retreat and the date set by the president. He said the message was relayed to the MPs by Vice President Slumber Tsogwane. “We have not been told the agenda of the meeting. But my belief is that the president wants to give us the opportunity to discuss matters that are affecting our party. “The MPs especially backbench had always wanted to have an all- day meeting with the president to discuss various issues of concern. “It is a good thing that the president has allocated two days for the meeting, which I believe we will all leave satisfied,” the government whip said. Kably who is also MP for Letlhakeng- Lephephe said this is an opportunity for the MPs to air their grievances to the president.