Owing to time constraints, the ruling Botswana Democratic Party has deferred the party’s primaries by a week.
By last week there were doubts whether the BDP would hold its primaries as planned.
The decision was taken at a special meeting of the party’s Central Committee following appraisal from the party’s Electoral Board chair Parks Tafa on Monday.
The party will now hold its first batch of primaries on the November 9 while the second set will follow on November 23.
Initially the party had hoped to go for its first batch of primaries this coming week.
The week long extension will afford party structures countrywide an opportunity to verify the party voters’ roll as well as fast track the issuing of remaining membership cards.
There are concerns over the issuing of membership cards with fears that a lot of party members could be disenfranchised by this year’s primaries since a large number of cards have not been distributed to party members.
It is reported that the party has not finalised all the processes for primary elections. The party has not dispatched all membership cards to regions and the voters roll has not been verified by constituency committee.
The primary elections postponement has been confirmed by BDP chair Guma Moyo and Secretary General Mpho Balopi who however referred all crucial enquiries to the chairperson of the Electoral Board.
“Block ‘A’ Primary Elections will be held on 9 November 2013 and Block ‘B’ on 23 November in accordance with our recommendations to the Central Committee,” said Tafa.
The central committee has also tasked the Electoral Board to handle and resolve complaints launched by numerous party cadres many of them aspiring councillors. The Telegraph has it on good authority that the party leadership has tasked the Electoral Board with the role of reconciling most of the parties following an observation that in almost all complaints there is little evidence to validate acts of dirty campaigns and flouting of the party’s primary elections rules and regulations.
