. . . as PM faces heckling from Lirurubele members
Billy Ntaote
FIREWORKS are expected at the Democratic Congress (DC) leadership conference set for Saturday with party structures divided along factional lines.
The mundane conference is however likely to have seismic implications as members of a faction opposed to DC leader and Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili are expected to heckle him if he takes them to task over the infighting rocking the party.
The indaba will be held against a backdrop of an internecine power struggle that has resulting in the emergence of the Lithope (loosely translated to girlfriends) faction linked to Dr Mosisili and Lirurubele (butterflies) linked to his deputy and Police Minister Moleleki.
So intense is the factionalism that speculation is rife Dr Mosisili might face a no-confidence vote after the reconvening of the National Assembly on Friday. Dr Mosisili has also been linked with a mooted splinter party, United Congress Movement (UCM), although DC spokesperson Serialong Qoo has rubbished the claims elsewhere in this edition.
According to Mr Qoo, the conference is a requirement of the party’s constitution and would be attended by members of all the leadership structures.
“The conference delegates are drawn from the constituency committees with the chairpersons, treasurers and secretaries of each constituency expected to attend,” he said.
“The youth and women’s leagues chairpersons, treasurers and secretaries will attend as well. Also expected to attend are party officials elected into local government councils and DC members of parliament.
“The conference is normally opened by the party leader’s speech followed by the secretary-general’s speech (Ralechate ’Mokose) and then the treasurer (Dr ’Mamphono Khaketla) who presents to the party reports from the youth league and the women’s league’s secretaries and treasurers.”
Mr Qoo stressed the indaba could not discuss the infighting rocking the party, but only call for a special conference to deal with the issue.
“We cannot deny the fact that there is confusion within our organisation. The expectation is that the conference, if it finds it appropriate, would refer the contentious issues to a properly mandated authority,” he said.
“Such an authority is a special conference that would consist of representatives of the party membership in the grassroots and not just the leadership in the grassroots.”
According to sources within the party, who spoke to the Sunday Express on condition of anonymity, Lirurubele members intended to heckle Dr Mosisili if he castigated them in his opening speech.
Last month, the DC suspended all of its rallies scheduled for September until the leadership conference set for next Saturday.
Sources close to the matter had told this paper the rally suspensions were a result of the heckling Dr Mosisili and other senior officials were subjected to during a rally held last month in Hololo, Butha-Buthe.
During his address, in which he called for party members to unite, Dr Mosisili was constantly interrupted and jeered.
Some of the DC members came to the rally wearing T-shirts emblazoned with both Dr Mosisili and Mr Moleleki’s images in contravention of a party directive to only have the premier’s image.
The source said the DC members seeking Dr Mosisili’s ouster were “ready to take him on” during the conference.
“We have learnt that the faction seeking to replace the party leader with his deputy will not let Mosisili make his speech in peace and get away with giving them a tongue lashing. They are ready to take him on if he attempts to reprimand them,” said the sources.
“However, the PM’s supporters are also getting ready to ensure they bring them (Lirurubele) to order if ever they disrupt or ridicule the party leader.”
The sources further indicated party delegates were also expected to call for a special conference to deal with the infighting rocking the party due to the limitations of the leadership conference.