- Butale ouster won’t affect relations – UDC
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) says they will wait on the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF)’s briefing on the suspension of president Biggie Butale following the recent damning allegations of sexual harassment against him.
The UDC believes that the BPF also not bound by any principles to engage the coalition movement on any of their internal affairs.
“As you are aware, the UDC has an established relationship with the BPF and this therefore established channels of engagement. We will therefore wait to be briefed, that is if the BPF is minded to do so. From what we have picked from the Press this matter is still under investigation and therefore it will be wrong to draw any conclusions on the allegations. We respect the BPF internal processes and we will as a consequence give them space to deal with this issue,” UDC Spokesperson told The Botswana Gazette on Tuesday evening.
He further pointed that Butale’s suspension will not have any implications on the ongoing opposition talks. “I guess you mean if the allegations are found to be true. If that is what you mean, it can’t. We relate with parties and not individuals.”
Butale is one of the key negotiators in the opposition talks. Meanwhile, reports suggests that opposition parties are bound to clash on the model that the opposition will adopt ahead of the 2024 general elections. Butale is believed to have fallen out with former president Ian Khama and some of his National Executive Committee (NEC) members following his refusal to agree on the pact model of cooperation, which had been proposed.
Sources say Butale was of the view that the umbrella model was best suited for opposition parties. His phone rang unanswered at the time of going to press.