“I will continue with my presidential tours”– Butale
GAZETTE REPORTER
Former Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) president, Biggie Butale, asserts that the recently held election of the party’s new National Executive Committee (NEC) does not impact his determination to reclaim the presidency.
New NEC
The BPF conducted its elective congress in Gaborone over the weekend. Mephato Reatile, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Jwaneng-Mabutsane, was chosen as the new president. Former Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) Carter Morupisi was elected party chairman, and Lawrence Ookeditse assumed the role of Secretary General (SG).
Despite the election of the new NEC being viewed as a significant setback for the Butale camp, he remains confident in his chances. Butale stated: “The election does not hold any force of effect.” He went on to tell The Botswana Gazette, “I still firmly believe that I am the legitimate president of the BPF, and that’s why we have also filed for a judicial review regarding my expulsion. My case is clear; I was expelled without a hearing. We anticipate the judgment to be released soon, as they (the Reatile faction) have failed to submit their notice of defense.”
National constituency tour
Moreover, Butale announced plans for a national constituency tour as part of the party’s preparations for the 2024 general elections. He mentioned, “We will be touring all constituencies, starting with Nata this Saturday. The objective is to update our members on our future plans and gather feedback from them as we gear up for 2024.”
Meanwhile, Butale was cagey to reveal details regarding their engagements with the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). Both the Butale led faction and the BCP have expressed interest in collaborating with each other for the 2024 general elections. The two parties have parties have made it clear that they do not want to work with the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) in next year’s national elections.