BNF, BPP holding UDC at ransom
‘ BNF has sweat blood and tears to see the coalition through difficult times’ ‘ It cannot allow Johnny Come Lately, BCP, who had abandoned the project to suddenly dictate terms’
Botswana National Front ( BNF) and Botswana People’s Party ( BPP) are allegedly the ones blocking the convening of the Umbrella for Democratic Change elective congress.
Since its inception over a decade ago, the UDC has never held an elective congress even though it is provided for in the Constitution. According to sources, even though the NEC agreed in December last year to the suspension of the elective congress to allow for Alliance for Progressives ( AP) and Botswana Patriotic Front ( BPF) to organise themselves, the underlying issue is a power tussle between Botswana Congress Party ( BCP) and the BNF.
BNF is said to be vehemently opposed to the elective congress on grounds that the BCP wants to take over leadership of the coalition while the BNF has sweat blood and tears to see the coalition through during difficult times.
The BNF leadership is said to be of the opinion that the BCP which just arrived in 2017 after dumping the project cannot come to the table and try to dictate terms. However, the BCP on the other hand is said not to be comfortable with running the coalition under the Umbrella Negotiating Team ( UNT).
The UDC is currently run through UNT as its NEC. According to sources such an arrangement could have far reaching implications as those at the helm of the team are not democratically elected but have critical and sweeping powers in the administration of the coalition.
The UDC has since commenced talks with AP and BPF. Impeccable sources within the UDC National Executive Committee ( NEC) have revealed that there are some who are against holding of the elective congress as this might derail the coalition project ahead of the 2024 national polls.
The tussle over the holding of the elective congress is said to be the major reason for the public spats between BNF and BCP members. The poor performance by BNF at both Parliament and local government especially the failure by their President Advocate Duma Boko to make it to Parliament is said to be a bitter pill to swallow by
BNF cadres. This is said to have also influenced them to support the rejection of a UDC elective congress. In January this year, UDC Head of Communications Moeti Mohwasa stated among a number of resolutions that emerged from the UDC NEC meeting held in Palapye on the 5th December 2020, that the elective Congress was to be suspended until after the conclusion of talks with other opposition parties.
He said it is only then that a decision will be made regarding the holding of elections or not before the 2024 General Election. This is said to have however not assisted in the fight for the leadership of the UDC which could be done through the elective congress. The public spats mostly directed at the UDC Vice President who is also the leader of BCP Dumelang Saleshando are said to have caused more robust campaign by BCP for the elective congress to be held as soon as possible. Some BCP Central Committee members are said to be unhappy at the way the party leadership is always under attack from their colleagues.
Some of the CC members are said to have already started lobbying some of the BPP leadership to support the call for the elective congress. This also is said to have divided the BPP leadership as some have already started expressing concern over the public spat with no word from the UDC leadership to call for calm.
While the UDC has promised to take action against wayward members who do not use set structures to express their concern, no one has been hauled for disciplinary action even though there is continuous public spats by members especially between BCP and BNF.
According to the UDC Constitution, Clause 28; Transition clause, indicates that pending the first meeting of the National Congress, the current Umbrella Negotiating Team, which comprises Presidents of the Parties, Secretary Generals and one more negotiating officer per party and three out of the five Conveners of the Negotiation
Process, shall on behalf of the Umbrella, have the power to exercise any power vested in any structure of the Party.
On the other hand the NEC elected through a National Congress is made up of National Office Bearers ( President, Vice President, Deputy Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary General, and Deputy Secretary General), Chairperson and Regional Secretary of each region; and Leaders or Presidents, as the case may be, of group members; and two persons who are individual members in good standing elected by the members of the NEC.
BNF Information and publicity Secretary Justin Hunyepa dismissed the claim as misleading with intent to tarnish the name of the BNF. He said the issue of the elective congress has long been dealt with and agreed to. According to Hunyepa, BNF has the best interests of the coalition at heart and would not want to see it fail under any circumstances. “This project is very close to our hearts as the BNF. If there is anyone with any ulterior motive it would be unfortunate.
“Since day one of this project the BNF believed in it, worked hard for it to take shape and we will not be against anything that is for the good of the coalition.
“As explained before, the UDC has agreed that the congress be put on hold until talks with other opposition parties are concluded,” he said adding that the BNF leadership and its cadres hold the project dearly and would want to see the united opposition take over government in 2024.
BPP President Motlatsi Molapisi said he is not aware of any member of his Central Committee who is also advocating for holding of the elective congress. He said the issue of the elective congress is a decision of the UDC NEC.
“This is not about an individual party but the collective as the UDC. No one from the executive committee has raised the issue with me or the leadership of the BPP.
“They have not indicated that they want the elective congress held against last year’s decision of the UDC leadership,” Molapisi stated in an interview.
BCP Secretary General Phillip Monowe could not be reached at press time as his mobile phone rang unanswered.