BOTSWANA POLITICAL BRIEFS JULY 2009

UNCLAS GABORONE 000630 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/S, AF/RSA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM BC SUBJECT: BOTSWANA POLITICAL BRIEFS JULY 2009 -------------- - Rival Faction Sweeps BDP Leadership Elections, Khama Appoints Loyalists to Remaining Positions -------------- --- ¶1. (U) Botswana's ruling political party the BDP went into its annual congress July 17-20 divided along factional lines. One faction was led by Education Minister Jacob Nkate and Vice President Mompati Merafhe (and supported by President Ian Khama),while the other was led by veteran party chairman (and former Minister) Daniel Kwelagobe and Minister for Mineral, Energy and Water Affairs Ponatshego Kedikilwe. Kwelagobe's faction swept all the 10 Executive committee posts that were up for elections. Kwelagobe was retained as party chairman, while Nkate's faction lost in all positions they stood for. Despite his previous strong criticism of the Kwelagobe faction, before the July 20 vote President Khama had already toned down his rhetoric and began reconciliation. In mid-July he declared that he would work with whoever won. ¶2. (U) The BDP constitution gives the President the right to unilaterally appoint five members of his choice to the party's executive committee. After his preferred faction was defeated soundly at the party congress July 20, President Khama moved swiftly on July 22 to do so. President Khama used his five slots to appoint people from the (defeated) Nkate/Merafhe faction. He appointed the faction's leaders, Minister Jacob Nkate and Vice President Mompati Merafhe, as well as Tebelelo Seretse (the losing candidate for party chairman),former BDP executive committee member Isaac Seloko and Councilor Malebogo Kruger. As allowed by the BDP constitution, Khama also appointed 77 other people from the losing faction to various BDP sub committees. Some observers have faulted Khama for not consulting the recently elected executive committee of the party before making these appointments, and they complain he is simply rewarding his loyalists. Khama's swift appointment of Nkate/Merafhe faction stalwarts has also been described by some commentators as an attempt to dilute the dominance of the Kwelagobe faction after their strong victory during the leadership election. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: During the campaign for party leadership positions, Khama announced that he would like to see women take more influential positions in the party. He also said that he would like to stop the practice of cabinet ministers also holding party leadership positions. In fact, Daniel Kwelagobe was dropped from Khama's cabinet in May because he chose to run for the Chairmanship of the party. Despite these statements, Khama chose to nominate two cabinet ministers from his preferred faction to serve in the executive committee, and he only named one woman (Seretse). -------------- Temporary Finance Minister Appointed -------------- ¶4. (U) President Khama has appointed retired Ministry of Finance and Development Planning Permanent Secretary and former managing Director of Botswana Development Corporation, Kenneth Mathambo, as the temporary Minister of Finance and Development Planning. This move was necessary because the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Baledzi Gaolathe, is suffering from an undisclosed illness and has been granted sick leave. (Note: Government sources say that Gaolathe is in South Africa for medical treatment. End Note.) The Constitution of Botswana allows one to be appointed to cabinet from outside Parliament for the maximum of four months. Mathambo will act for four months beginning August 1. It is not clear where he will be nominated as specially elected Member of Parliament after the October general election. -------------- Court Rules in Favor of Opposition MP -------------- ¶5. (U) A panel of three Court of Appeals judges has upheld the High Court ruling that Akanyang Magama, opposition Botswana National Front (BNF) Gaborone South MP, is the legitimate BNF candidate for Gaborone South during the October general election. The BNF had appealed the High Court decision after the court ruled in favor of the MP, who took his complaint to the High Court after BNF wanted the primary election of the party in Gaborone South re-run. BNF was claiming there had been some irregularities during the primary election. Botswana's main opposition party, the BNF, has been riddled by in-fighting and misunderstandings, resulting in two MPs and several other prominent party members being expelled from the party a few months before the general elections. Nolan