Selebi-Phikwe — Former Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development and MP for Selebi-Phikwe West Kavis Kario is a disappointed man after he lost to the opposition at a time when hardly anyone thought it possible.

In fact, the writing was on the wall in the Botswana Democratic Party camp that it was headed for a thumping there because of its inner rivalries that saw many of its members celebrate after the results were announced.

Analysts say Kario's loss was also the result of sabotage by party members opposed to his 'intermeddling' after he was elected into office. There was a time when certain councillors accused the former MP of interfering with council decisions.

As the faction divisions escalated, Kario decamped from Barata-Phathi, apparently creating more enemies who would punish him in the October 16 general elections. Feeling betrayed, they openly accused their MP of being power hungry.

Meanwhile, Kario seems to have accepted his fate with commendable equanimity. "I am taking a breather from the strain of the campaign trail," he says. "I cannot say what my next move will be at the moment, but I will be consulting my family, relatives and friends."I will take a decision after the break, but I'll be in full swing in January to push my agenda forward in whatever direction I'll have chosen."

Kario says he will not be lost to politics and will join fellow BDP members on a programme to regain the constituency from the BCP in due course. He has chosen not to lodge a protest over the election results "although there was unfairness in the whole process"."There were unions de-campaigning us and there was a lot of voter trafficking but all these are part of the game of politics," he alleges.