Thursday, February 6, 2025

Mixed views over BMD leadership elections

The newly elected Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) executive committee has raised mixed feelings among other political parties in the country.

The new BMD national executive committee nominees were unopposed and were re-elected to the party’s senior positions.

The post of president was the only one that was competed for by nominees Gomolemo Motswaledi and advocate Sidney Pilane.

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Executive secretary, Dr. Comma Serema, said that he does not support unchallenged elections with no competition for party positions. He stated that the same political candidates who defected from BDP did not want competition and were unopposed. He said the candidates did the same thing they practiced while they were with BDP. Serema said in a political party, there should not be a line between north and south.

“We politicians have always wanted senior positions and do not want to give others a chance,” said Serema.

He said BDP does not welcome the newly-elected BMD executive committee.

The Botswana National Front (BNF) President Duma Boko said competition took place and the voters applied their preferred choices. He said gender balance of less numbers of active women in political positions is a problem that does not affect BMD only.

Boko said it is a general social difficulty.

BCP President, Dumelang Saleshando, said they welcome the newly elected BMD executive committee and stated that BCP commended BMD for successful elections. He stated that there is need to now focus on the negotiation talks of unity of opposition parties.

“We do not know what their target was but we congratulate them for the 50 constituencies represented at the congress out of 57 constituencies,” said Saleshando.

He said he would have been worried if someone was disqualified during the elections. He stated that he would have been uncomfortable if the whole interim committee was not elected, adding that there was freedom to contest and no one was discouraged from contesting.

Saleshando also echoed Boko’s words, stating that the few women in political positions are also an area of concern.

Only one woman, Binkie Kerileng, was elected in the BMD executive committee as deputy treasurer.
Few other women came as additional members to the committee.

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