Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
23 December 2008
The Botswana Democratic Party is today (Tuesday) expected to announce a re-run in the Serowe South parliamentary constituency following a successful appeal by challenger Tebelelo Seretse.
BDP sources say the Appeal's cCated on the matter over the weekend and ruled in favour of the challenger who garnered 1917 votes against the incumbent Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi's 2697 votes in the August BDP primaries, also known as Bulela Di Tswe.
By press time yesterday, members of the BDP's Central Committee had started to converge on Gaborone for the Tuesday meeting where they will receive the appeal's committee's verdict.
It is anticipated that upon receiving the appeal's committee's ruling, the central committee will discuss its implications and vote to uphold Seloko's verdict.
However, those in the know say should the matter go to voting, Tebelelo Seretse who is also the Chairman of the BDP's Women's Wing, will easily triumph as she has a lot of allies on the central committee.
Insiders say the likelihood of the central committee dismissing Seloko's verdict is minimal as it is generally accepted that a Tebelelo Seretse and Pelonomi Venson re-match has never caused the party any embarrassment.
The last time the central committee ordered a re-run between the two women was in the 2003 primaries before Venson-Moitoi, now a minister in President Ian Khama's cabinet, defeated her rival with 2 232 to her 1969.
Back then, the BDP central committee ordered a re-run in the constituency because there had been a shortage of ballot papers at Mogorosi, Moiyabana, Motshegaletau and Thabala villages.
"People who did not vote were many and there might have been an impact on the outcome of the elections," the then BDP Executive Secretary, Botsalo Ntuane, was quoted as saying.
It has been a long and painful wait for the challenger who has had her appeal tossed back and forth between the regional committee and the appeal's committee.
At some stage, the case was abandoned midway by the appeal's committee under controversial circumstances.
Seloko later told Mmegi that they had earlier started hearing the case and called witnesses, but no final determination was reached. "We stopped halfway, had called some witnesses, but not all," Seloko said.
The case was sent back to the regional committee, which as anticipated, ruled against Seretse who also appealed to the central committee yet again.
The central committee assigns such cases to the appeal's committee, which then gives the central committee its verdict to consider.
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