Saturday, February 8, 2025

BMD leader dissmisses allegations of consorting with the BDP

The leader of the Botswana Movement for Democracy, Gomolemo Motswaledi, has angrily dissmissed circulating rumours that some key functionaries of his party are in secret talks with the ruling Botswana Democratic Party for a possible truce. BMD is an offshoot of the ruling BDP.

Following the collapse of opposition negotiations to form a united front there have been spirited speculation that BMD could be on its way back to the BDP.

BMD was formed largely by people who were disgruntled with the BDP.

Some sections of the Botswana Democratic Party are also known to have tried to convince the leadership about trying to win some BMD members back as a way of weakening opposition ranks.
The BDP is worried that even if they were to win the next elections in 2014, the majority will be so weak as to undermine the overall credibility and legitimacy of the government. The arrival of BMD would bolster the BDP ranks.

But contacted this week, Motswaledi said BMD has come too far to go back to BDP. He said those who go back would be doing so as individuals as has happened in the past.
The party would not try to stop such people, he said.

He also said because many of the BMD members are people who have never had an association with the BDP, returning to the ruling party is a non-starter for them.

In a strongest indication yet of the poisoned relations and the mistrust that exists between opposition parties as a result of the misinformation campaign on who should bear the responsibility for the negotiations, Motswaledi accused Sunday Standard sources of “day dreaming”.

He said nobody in the BMD has been given the authority to talk to the BDP about possible return and or forming an alliance with the ruling party.

“None of this is true… No such negotiations. No authority therefore necessary for what is non-existent. No advances are expected from the BDP… Who are your day dreaming sources on this matter?” qupped the BMD leader.

Sources in Government have indicated that BDP has softened its stance on the law forbidding floor-crossing until such time that some BMD Members of Parliament have rejoined the ruling party.

The law affecting the council representatives was supposed to have been passed in the last sitting but was postponed on a technicality, ostensibly at the recommendations from Ntlo Ya Dikgosi.
But BDP ditractors say the ruling party was forced to delay the law as it would have scuppered plans to swalloow up the BMD.

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