State of BDP concerns Balopi
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday February 14, 2022 06:00
The BDP did not perform well in the by-elections having been outmuscled by the coalition, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), most recently at Ledumadumane East in the Mogoditshane constituency last Saturday. The by-elections for 11 other council seats that were vacant were held in December 2021 where the BDP faired badly, winning only three of the 11 wards on offer.
So far, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has held 12 by-elections for vacant council seats. Out of the 12 council seats, the BDP won only three and the UDC nine.
“I am very concerned about the performance of our party. This is a sign that Batswana are not happy about something or we are not doing something right. We aim to increase the party's popular vote at all times and we cannot afford to make it drop again like what had happened in the 2014 General Election. All the time, we have to hold the party high,” Balopi said on Tuesday.
He added that the party is waiting for the evaluation report from the different structures, which held by-elections. The structures are to submit their reports so that the party can know what exactly led to the losses.
In addition, the SG said the reports will give them guidance on what should be done as there is a clear picture that the party needs to go back to the drawing board.
He added: “I believe after the reports have been submitted, our party President Mokgweetsi Masisi will give the party direction on what can be done. As democrats, when the President has spoken, we take what he says seriously and act on it. It is time our President gives us direction because we cannot keep on losing by-elections.”
Balopi said the reason why they want the evaluation reports prepared is that they cannot surmise what the people want or are aggrieved about.
He said the party is made up of a group of people with different ideas and therefore, it is time for BDP members to stand up for the party and work together. He said the BDP he knows has managed to emerge from so many challenges it faced and he strongly believes they will emerge even stronger from this 'temporary' setback.
“As far as I am concerned, I do not have problems with the party leaders. If the members strongly believe that I contribute to the party losses, they should say so without fear or favour. We need to build our party and therefore, we can only achieve that by telling the truth of what is happening and what can be the best for us. We need to be united more than before for us to win the 2024 General Election,” he said.
He also encouraged members to resolve party issues internally without having to rush to the media. From 2014 to 2019 general elections, the BDP popular vote grew from 46.25% to 52.77%, while the UDC has grown from 30.01% to 36.37%.