Africa-Press – Botswana. The Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP) President Mokgweetsi Masisi has told members that the party congress will be held in August this year. The mandate for the party central committee has long expired but could not be renewed by electing new party central committee members due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When addressing the members over the weekend at Shoshong and Mahalapye (SHOMA) regional congress, Masisi said the central committee is planning the party national elective congress where free and fair elections will be held. “Our National Council will be held in July and therefore by August, we will be able to hold the congress. I hope all lower structures would have held their congresses.
All our congresses should be peaceful and elections should be free and fair,” he said. This was also confirmed by party spokesperson Kagelelo Kentse that indeed President Masisi has announced congress. Meanwhile, the BDP National Youth Executive Council chairperson Karabo Gomotsegang said their congress will be held by the beginning of July if things go according to plan.
Recently, the party’s Political Education and Elections Committee (PEEC) chairperson, Alec Seametso said he believes that they are on the right track when it comes to elections at lower structures. “Our challenge was the Easter Holiday, but we have managed to hold the majority of ward congresses and we will be preparing for branch congresses in all the constituencies. You have to understand that wards are more than 400. Again, as a party, we rely mostly on volunteers. We have challenges in 10 wards,” Seametso said. He said according to reports from different party structures, indications are that they will be done electing new committee members by early May.
The PEEC chairperson also said the reason why they had to ensure that structures are elected on time is for the central committee to be able to finalise dates for bigger elective congresses. Already, Masisi has written a letter instructing his party regions, branches, wards and cells to hold their congresses to renew the party structures’ mandates. The BDP has 57 branch committees and is resident in 14 regions. The instruction also extends to the BDP Women’s Wing and the NYEC.
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