16 Sep 2014

True democrats should live up to the test rather than bolt away when challenges emerge and only identify with the party during good times, President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has said.

Addressing star rallies in Mmopane and Lentsweletau on  September 14, President Khama said individuals who ditched the party because of challenges presented by Bulela ditswe system never loved the party, but were rather power hungry and not interested in serving electorates.

He said those candidates who were not successful during primary elections should emulate the likes of Messrs Peter Siele, Dikgakgamatso Seretse, Phandu Skelemani, Bernard Bolele and other candidates who conceded defeat, but were still active BDP members.

He said the party had formed a committee chaired by Mr Siele to look into how Bulela ditswe could be reformed for effective management of party primary elections. The committee will make a report following submissions from all constituencies and regions, he said.

The President reiterated that there was no BDP Mokok” as these people wanted to mislead the people by using the party name to win elections.

He said mekoko are self-serving individuals who just want power and position at the expense of the electorates and warned against voting for such people.

He said BDP would never re-admit former party members contesting as independent candidates, because by re-admitting them the party would be setting a wrong precedence.

The BDP leader said voting ‘Mekoko’ would be a waste of votes because such individuals cannot form a government, as development needs collective ideas and collaboration.

Furthermore, he said individuals without collective ideas from their parties would not manage to build roads, clinics and schools which are much needed in Lentsweletau/Mmopane constituency.

President Khama also refuted as untrue allegations by the former area MP who is now standing as Mokoko that he was offered an ambassadorial post so that he does not contest for elections as an independent candidate.

He said he cannot buy people to join the party but should do so at their own volition, adding that there was no how he could have promised him the post as they are no vacant post in the foreign missions.

Furthermore, President Khama said opposition parties should tell Batswana what they can offer when given the chance to rule rather than attacking BDP policies during their campaigns.

He encouraged democrats to vote for a capable leadership of Mr Vincent Seretse and his team of councilors. He however said he was impressed with the work on the ground done by campaign managers across the country and was confident the party will retain power in the coming election.

On other issues, the BDP leader raised a concern over some media houses that compromise ethics just to make a profit out of reporting untruths.

“The problem is that they take sides in politics and they are sometimes wild when they write stories, maybe it’s because there are too many newspapers in the country competing for a small market.

They now write stories by attacking the BDP, the president or government to sell their newspapers,” President Khama said. Ends