Rival faction rejects Ookeditse as party president
A faction opposed to the newly elected president of Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Lawrence Ookeditse, has declared that it will not accept his leadership, insisting that the legitimate interim president is former Commander of Botswana Defense Force, Gaolathe Galebotswe.
The faction says it does not recognize this week’s power handover between Ookeditse and former president Mephato Reatile.
In a statement issued on Wednesday morning the faction appealed to BPF members to remain calm and assured them that everything was under control.
Explaining the issue, the spokesperson of the faction, Modiri Jojo Lucas, said that prior to the Monday transition of power, they held a closed meeting with Reatile warning him about his plans but he was adamant that he had made up his mind..
Lucas stated that according to Section 21.1 of the BPF constitution, the Vice President must take over the leadership of the party and perform the duties of the president when the latter is absent, hence Gaolathe should take over.
He said that the announcement of reconciliation between the two men was never communicated with the general membership of the party, and therefore was illegitimate.
“Reconciliation is constituted by both parties equally agreeing amicably on how the organization moves forward, and that’s not the case here. We saw a one sided reconciliation,” he said.
Lucas added that the extraordinary congress set for January in Jwaneng will still be held, but the venue might change.
“What is important is that the congress should be held within three months, but the venue might change,” he said.
However, Lucas received another letter of expulsion on Wednesday for his media engagements on the BPF dispute and for sowing seeds of divisions in the party.
He said that he does not recognise his expulsion since the party accepted his membership verbally, and therefore he did not understand why it wrote him a letter of expulsion.
