BCP awaits approval of 17 constituencies

Saleshando
Saleshando

Botswana Congress Party (BCP) president Dumelang Saleshando says that they have not received any correspondence from the Umbrella Democratic Party (UDC) regarding any of the 17 constituencies, which have been allocated the BCP in the coalition.

Following completion of talks between the UDC and BCP, which saw the latter allocated 17 of the 57 constituencies, there have been reports that Botswana Peoples Party (BPP), an affiliate of UDC, is pushing to be given more seats.

BPP was allocated four seats from the 40 constituencies, which were shared between them and other UDC affiliates, the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) and Botswana National Front (BNF) to contest in 2019. The BNF got the lion’s share of 22 constituencies followed by BCP with 17 while Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) has 14. Constituencies allocated to BPP are Tati West, Tati East, Serowe South and Serowe North. However, BPP has gone public about its unhappiness, demanding to be allocated more seats. When addressing a press conference yesterday, the former Gaborone Central legislator said that he had not seen any correspondence from the BPP or UDC complaining about allocation of constituencies. He said that BCP was in negotiations with the UDC, which resulted in the party being allocated 17 constituencies, and the three UDC contracting partners sharing 40. “How the three UDC affiliates shared the 40 constituencies has no business with BCP. I have read about those issues, but I have not seen any correspondence from the complaining party. I therefore say it would be improper for me to get into the issue,” he said.

Editor's Comment
Masisi should avoid diplomatic tensions

Mokgweetsi Masisi’s recent spats regarding the supposed involvement of Eswatini and South Africa in accommodating former president Ian Khama have sparked concerns about the potential ramifications on diplomatic relations. While transparency is valued, it must be accompanied by strategic communication to mitigate unintended consequences.President Masisi’s comments during a diplomatic heads meeting have drawn attention to the delicate balance...

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