The Botswana National Front faction led by the party Vice President, Kathleen Letshabo, are pushing a last ditch effort to have the extraordinary congress scheduled for May postponed to August.
Moupo is said to be totally against the idea.
He sees that as a tactic to outmaneuver him by buying time to out campaign him.
The Letshabo faction is said to be using the structure of party veterans to approach Moupo to prevail on him to have the Congress moved to August.
Among others, the veterans are Klaas Motshidisi and O.K Menyatso.
Moupo is said to have made it clear that the decision to call the Congress is his and not the Central Committee’s and, as such, he would have the final say on where and when it would be held.
They have tried in the past and Moupo relented but turned down their request to have the Congress moved from Molepolole which is his strong base.
Party insiders were united this week that the apparent panic on the faction is a clear sign of un-preparedness to dislodge Moupo from the party presidency.
The campaigns for the two factions have lately been gaining momentum.
Moupo has Olebile Gaborone as his running mate, while Letshabo is running with yet another University of Botswana academic Dr. Elmon Tafa vying for the Vice Presidency.
Moupo’s camp has also fielded Mahommed Khan for the position of Secretary General.
He is challenging the incumbent Akanyang Magama who is on the side of Letshabo and Dr. Tafa.
For the position of Information and Publicity Affairs, Moupo is represented by incumbent Moeti Mohwasa while the Letshabo faction is represented by Jopha Olesitse.
The special congress to be held in Molepolole promises to be the most interesting in as far as it will seal the dispute over the control of the BNF between university academics and the ordinary masses.
