The Botswana National Front President has dared his opponents in the party to do what is required by the party rules to oust him and his Central Committee.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Otsweletse Moupo emphasized that he intends to serve his entire term as BNF President.
He said his term expires in 2010 and he intends to see it through.
“The BNF leadership has made a decision that there will be no elective congress this year. If BNF members are against that decision, the procedure is that at least two thirds of the constituencies should call for an elective congress.”
Moupo said he would be too happy to prepare for such a congress if the BNF constitution is followed.
He said he is worried by the indiscipline inflicting the party, especially coming from people holding positions of responsibility. “I have instructed the Disciplinary Committee to convene and deal with the cases before them,” said the unflinching Moupo.
Lately, the BNF has been bedeviled by factional fights, with the vanquished faction that lost at the Molepolole Special Congress in Molepolole showing a rare unpreparedness to accept the elected leadership.
“The tradition inside the BNF has always been that after the elections the losers rally behind those elected by the masses. It is unfortunate that there are people inside the BNF who do not want to accept that tradition. It really is regrettable,” said Moupo.
Moupo admitted that there has been a lot of confusion, a lot of it peddled by the media on whether or not the BNF will be going for a conference or Congress in July this year. He said a long time ago the BNF leadership took a position to go for a Conference.
“As far as the leadership of the party is concerned the current central committee was elected with an overwhelming majority at the Molepolole Congress less than a year ago, and will remain until 2010 when its mandate expires. If there is a perception within the party that the current Central Committee has lost control our view is that this is partly because of indiscipline and lack of respect for democratic decisions,” said Moupo.
“It is regrettable that this attitude is displayed by some comrades who happen to be in positions of responsibility.”
He said his Central Committee was, however, addressing this problem which he thought was “not insurmountable.”
“Although it is everyone’s democratic right to voice his/her opinion there are established procedures provided by the party constitution on how to channel one’s views.”
