Despite forging ahead with an interim constitution, party colour and symbol, the Barata-Phathi faction of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is still to reach an agreement on the name for the new party.
The splinter party leadership will convene a meeting in Gaborone today (Sunday) at which a decision will be taken on what name the new movement should assume. So far the party has chosen the colour orange and a ‘V’ sign as its symbol.
First on the list of names that have been approved by the registrar of societies as possible names for the new party is BarataPhathi Freedom Party (BFP).
Botswana Democratic Alliance (BDC), Botswana Movement For Democracy (BMD), Movement For Democracy and The Real Democrats of Botswana.
Also in the list are the names, Alliance For Botswana Democracy, BarataPhathi Democratic Movement and Independent Democrats.
“The V sign means Victory and Peace; the tyranny and dictatorship will be defeated in 2014 by the new party in alliance with the nationalist forces of BCP and BNF,”said a high ranking BarataPhathi member who preferred to be quoted anonymously until after today’s meeting which will decide on the new party name.
“Orange is the bright colour of change and hope….It has been used in Kenya,Ukraine,Georgia and other countries where the people struggled for democracy and fought dictatorships,” stated the source.
The splinter party is, however, divided on the name.
Some members feel that the “Barata Phathi” should prefix the name to capture the new party’s history with the BDP and present the new party as a natural home for members of the BDP who are disgruntled. Other members want a clean break from the BDP and feel that the Barata-Phathi prefix should be done away with so that the new party is never associated with the BDP.
So far President Khama has labelled the new party as a composition of position seeking individuals who are bent of tarnishing the BDP image.
In his statement that was broadcast on national radio and Television Khama states that the group calling itself ‘Barata-Phathi is just a handful of ‘misguided elements’.
Khama says that narrow personal ambitions should not be allowed to undermine the BDP’s interest. He says that despite the disruptive efforts by Barata-Phathi, the BDP is a democratic institution
