- Central Committee to make final decision on Serame’s protest
- Regional Committee recently dismissed her appeal
- New evidence reportedly presented to Central Committee
GAZETTE REPORTER
The Minister of Finance, Peggy Serame, may yet get her opportunity for a re-run of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primaries in the Goodhope-Mathethe constituency afterall.
Inside sources say despite the Southern Regional Committee dismissing Serame’s protest, the Central Committee (CC) of the BDP could be contemplating a re-run due to recent developments.
While BDP spokesman Kagelelo Kentse declined to comment on the matter, The Botswana Gazette is informed that President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Deputy Secretary General Lemogang Kwape were informed on Sunday about ballot boxes from the primaries allegedly being discovered at the home of a Goodhope-Mathethe branch member last week.
Reached in Zim
The briefing reportedly reached President Masisi and Kwape when they were in Zimbabwe attending the Head of State Summit of the Southern African Development Community.
Said a source close to the developments: “The ballot boxes were taken to Tsholetsa House as the party began to investigate the matter. A police case has also been opened against the said branch member.”
“A real problem”
Regional chairman Walker Kegakilwe says the matter has not been reported to him but has commented: “If indeed ballot boxes were found with any branch member, it would be a real problem.”
He noted that responsibility for ballot boxes lies with the returning officer deployed by the CC to the constituency.
According to official results of the primary elections, the Minister of Health Dr Edwin Dikoloti garnered 5,849 votes against Serame’s 3,980.
Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that both the branch and regional committees were divided on Serame’s protest, which ultimately led her to escalate the matter to the CC.
In her appeal, Serame cited a number of irregularities, though Dikoloti countered that the same irregularities would have affected both candidates.