Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09GABORONE630
2009-08-07 14:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Gaborone
Cable title:
BOTSWANA POLITICAL BRIEFS JULY 2009
how-toVZCZCXRO7551 RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHOR #0630 2191450 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 071450Z AUG 09 FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5956 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
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
--------------------------------------------- ---
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
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