Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) parliamentary chief whip, Liakat Kablay says his party will take action against some Members of Parliament (MPs) and or any Cabinet Minister who differ with the party caucus. This came after Specially Elected Member of Parliament (SEMP), Unity Dow turned down an offer to become a member of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) and replace Kgosi Mosadi Seboko who is alleged to have resigned. Dow declined to take the offer after Kgosi Mosadi said she did not resign. In an interview on Thursday, Kablay said there is no one who is above the party constitution. He added that party caucuses are binding to all members regardless of one’s position. “We have sworn when we became MPs that we will abide by the party procedures and regulations. Of course, I am going to write a letter to both the party disciplinary committee and central committee to take action against members who defy the party caucus,” said Kablay.

He added it is his job as a chief whip to inform the party’s central committee on what transpired during the caucuses and Parliament sittings.

The chief whip said it is shocking and also embarrassing for an MP to be conducting interviews with the media and openly tarnishing the image of the party or boldly telling the public that she did not vote with her party. He said it is a concern that MP Dow has differed with the party caucus twice and then wrote a statement after such action. Meanwhile, Kablay said it will be sad if the Minister of Minerals and Energy Lefoko Moagi told the media that he also voted with opposition parties.

Kablay added: “I will have to investigate that. If indeed it is true, then I will have to inform the central committee and disciplinary committee. Then action will be taken against them. If there is enough evidence then the party will take the necessary action. Surely, action will be taken against anyone who defies the party caucus. If an action is not taken then the party will be setting a wrong precedence.” He said there is nothing wrong with MPs or Ministers not agreeing with the decision that the party wants to take internally if the majority agrees, but outside a caucus, one is allowed to agree with a decision majority had taken. A statement from Kablay dated March 15, 2023, reads; “In 2022, Parliament adopted a motion that sought to dissolve the existing Parliamentary committees and to reconstitute them into committees that will reflect the composition of parties in Parliament and therefore, the wishes of the voters in the past elections. Most if not all committees, were under the chairmanship of members of the opposition contrary to the expressed wishes of the electorate in the 2019 elections entrusting governance, soundly and without equivocation, with the ruling party.”

The statement goes on to state that the dissolution of committees was a legal exercise as sanctioned by Parliament regulations. Additionally, he stated that the PAP is one of those committees that was affected by the dissolution and of which Kgosi Seboko was a member. Kablay said it, therefore, goes without saying that Kgosi Seboko’s membership ceased irrespective of the fact that there were rumours to the effect that she was reluctant to continue as a member of the PAP.

“As it is practice a woman parliamentarian representative had to be found, hence the appointment of Unity Dow, who later subsequently resigned from committee,” it says. He added that it is unfortunate that Dow has come to a position where she declines the appointment, albeit having initially allowed the process to go through.

Kablay said what is more disturbing is that Dow went all out to justify her reluctance including baseless allegations that there was no vacancy, as in her own thinking, Kgosi Seboko had not resigned.

This on its own goes against the practice and customs that guide interactions between members at the party and caucus level. Dow said she has seen the letter written by Kablay. “I don’t know if it is leaked or if it is written to me or not. I think it will be premature of me to respond to what he had said in that letter. It is his duty to advise his leaders on some issues. Again he is entitled to say his opinion. So, I will wait for my letter or any letter that calls me for hearing so that I could respond,” she said.

Dow further said she hopes that Kablay will issue another letter which he addresses Minister Moagi and some of the MPs who support their decision. In addition, she said Kablay knows party procedures very well and if he has a complaint against what they had done, he should follow it rather than preach it to others while he fails to do the same. Dow said as things stand, it is best they do not comment until they are served to appear before hearing.