Africa-Press – Botswana. From when he formed the Botswana Patriotic Front, throughout his ceaseless feuding with his successor and now as he plans to run for the party presidency, Lieutenant General Ian Khama has been keen to stress that he has absolutely no desire to become state president again.
However, if he runs for the BPF presidency, he would – in terms of Clause 20.8 of the party’s constitution, be contradicting that commitment.
“When the party is in power, the president of the country shall become president of the party,” reads a clause that was lifted chapter and verse from the constitution of Khama’s old party, the Botswana Democratic Party.
On such basis, there is no way that Khama, as BPF president, cannot be state president in the event BPF wins the 2024 general election.
By mere fact of being BPF president, Khama is seen to be explicitly expressing desire to return to State House, the official presidential residence.
There is also an encumbrance from the country’s constitution that Khama has to deal with.
Section 32 of the constitution prescribes that candidates who are interested in the state presidency should submit their names to the returning office ahead of the general election.
What that means is that if Khama leads BPF to the 2024 general election, he would have to submit his name in the manner that this provision sets forth.
To some, doing so would confirm that Khama’s long-running feud with President Mokgweetsi Masisi is propelled by his (Khama’s) desire to return to official power.
That is a problem for Khama because even some of Khama’s ardent supporters are opposed to his presidential candidacy.
Throughout, Khama has been keen to stress that he has absolutely no intention of becoming president again – and indeed some people within his circle say that he is telling the truth.
The latter say that Khama would like to do two things: bring down Masisi and raise the stature of his younger brother, Tshekedi, in to such level that he can also become president.
Tshekedi would have run for the BPF presidency but it was clear that he would lose to Guma Moyo.
Khama wants to take on Moyo himself and clear the way for Tshekedi.
A BPF source says that Khama has put together a strategy whose chances of success are extremely high.
The plan is that at the party’s upcoming elective congress and for the precise purpose of deodorising Khama’s candidacy, his supporters will move a recommendation from the floor that Clause 20.8 be amended to say that the party president doesn’t necessarily have to be state president.
Whether or not the congress adopts such recommendation depends on whether there is enough support for it.
Khama’s ticket is expected to have enough support at the congress to adopt that recommendation.
In his acceptance speech, Khama will restate what he has been saying all along – that he has absolutely no interest in returning to State House and merely wants to help the party win the elections.
However, there is another complication.
As an individual, Khama still commands a large following and there are people who would like to see him become state president again.
These voters would be disinclined to vote for the BPF if Khama wouldn’t become state president.
Ultimately, there is the question of whether Khama, who has tasted the ultimate executive power before, would really pass up the opportunity to become president again.
Among other things, that power would give him the opportunity to exact revenge on Masisi – whose deployment of presidential power forced Khama out of the country.
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