Botswana Congress Party Youth League (BCPYL) has labelled leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) Duma Boko a dictator and accused him of suspending the coalition’s constitution in order to run a one man show.
BCP Youth League President Thabologo Furniture told Sunday Standard that Boko is undermining attempts to hold a UDC elective congress to vote for a new leadership ahead of the 2024 general elections.
“We have long taken a decision as the youth league that UDC needs to be democratised such that we can hold an elective congress. The leader of the UDC has decided to suspend the constitution for reasons known to himself. He continues with his dictatorship within the UDC,” said Furniture.
Furniture said there was a leadership vacuum in the UDC, adding that they are disappointed in Boko who has single-handedly suspended the party constitution to serve his own interests.
“Party members should be allowed to vote for their own leaders and it is disheartening how the BNF has reneged on their promise to hold Congress” added Furniture.
He also pointed out that holding an elective Congress would allow individual parties to adopt a resolution to merge all parties into one entity.
“Members of the UDC want to elect their own leadership but with the way things have been set up in the party where one-man rules, it is quite shocking to say the least” he said.
Furniture also said behind this, there is a hidden agenda to kick out the BCP from the coalition.
“There are individuals within the BNF with intentions to kick us out, we see that daily but the UDC President who also serves as BNF President seems to be enjoying it, that was even evident with the way things were done recently at the University of Botswana where UB-CD was kicked out from moono wa Baithuti”
“We have no intentions of leaving the coalition. All we want is a new leadership with a fresh mandate. We cannot be having a leader of opposition outside Parliament,” said Furniture.
Meanwhile, UDC Spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa said at the NEC meeting held in Palapye last year, it was resolved that the discussions on the holding of a UDC congress be put on hold until the talks with other opposition parties have been concluded.
“It is only after the entry of new members that the UDC can start talking about an elective Congress”
“You should appreciate that what is important for the UDC currently is the coming together of opposition parties in the country.
UDC operates on an Umbrella model which recognizes the existence of parties that affiliate to it,” added Mohwasa.
