TWO BDP COUNCILLORS RESIGN IN NORTH EAST Posted by SHINGIRAI MADONDO on April 4, 2014 Ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has suffered a heavy blow ahead of the general elections later this year after two sitting councillors and three other members from the North East District Council (NEDC) resigned from the party. The two sitting councillors are Boy Farayi Bonyongo and Ronald Bompi Zwinila. Bonyongo of Nlaphkwane ward and Zwinila of Masunga ward failed to retain their respective areas during the just-ended Bulela Ditswe, or primary, elections. Ntshinogang Mabutho, Godfrey Smile and Falani Masalila, BDP party members, tried their luck to be voted in as councillors but were defeated. However, all five BDP members have argued that their respective defeats were doctored by other democrats. It is against this backdrop that the five aggrieved democrats have jointly written a strongly worded letter dated March 21st 2014 alerting the ruling party of their decision to resign. According to the letter leaked to this publication, the BDP officials have decided to leave the ruling party in protest against its failure to address their concerns in relation to the recent Bulela Ditswe. Zwinila, confirmed the development but could not be drawn into discussing the matter at length arguing that he and the others who have resigned have stated their course of action in the letter. Bonyongo and the other three party members urged this reporter to contact BDP officials at Tsholetsa House. Lee Lesetedi, the deputy BDP Secretary General confirmed that some councillors in the northeastern constituency of Tati West have tendered their resignation letters complaining about a number of issues. However, Lesetedi could not explain very much arguing that the party is still studying the letters in order to decide on the proper way forward. According to a joint letter from the five aggrieved BDP members, the decision to resign was arrived at following the realisation that the party was not willing to give them an audience after the primaries. “Bulela Ditswe was not fair,” the five stated in the letter citing it as one of the reasons for their respective resignation from the party. In the letter, the vanquished candidates further explained that there was allegedly a lot of vote-rigging during Bulela Ditswe. They further alleged that efforts to appeal through the party structures were shot down whilst no reasons were given to explain why the appeals could not be heard. Even their request to meet with the president and explain their position was blocked, they said.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 13:48:58 +0000
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