Is the sun setting on UDC?
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday March 15, 2022 06:00
Opposition parties have already started fighting for council seats given events in recent by-elections. The fights started last year with the 11 vacant council seat positions and now the situation with the candidacy for the Bophirima ward council seat has made matters worse.
The country’s two main opposition parties, Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Botswana National Front (BNF) are said to be plotting each other’s downfall.
The Monitor has learnt that some opposition parties are planning a coalition outside of the UDC. Both the BCP and BNF are affiliates of UDC.
An insider told The Monitor that talks are at an advanced stage because the parties are not happy that the BNF is the one that has the power to call meetings and also its president, Duma Boko, is the only one who signs off on anyone who wants to contest under UDC. “UDC constitution is made in a way that if Boko does not want you to contest, then he can stop you from contesting because he is the one signing the form and letter that is supposed to be submitted at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). Ledumadumane East was our stronghold, but BNF took the ward from us and we did not make noise about it,” an insider said.
“Now we had expected a meeting with them on Bophirima ward since we were given the area to take care of, but they still want it. Instead, their president took a resolution without engaging other UDC affiliates to endorse his party member. Enough is enough. They can remain with UDC.”
Asked to comment on the developments in the UDC, University of Botswana political science lecturer Keaoleboga Dipogiso said the relationship between BCP and BNF will always be marred by intermittent controversy.
“I think the old-time politics between the BCP and the BNF, that I have warned about are resurfacing. I have in the past asserted with this publication that the relationship between BCP and BNF will always be marred by intermittent controversy. This stems from the impression that BNF is old and irredeemable hence needs to be replaced, whilst on the flip side the latter find BCP as a threat in the same regard – as a mushrooming claimant in the local political space,” he said.
“There have been simmering differences between the two parties concerning the leadership of the coalition and such basic things as inclusive decision-making and internal communication. I mean, beyond the wards or by-election stand-off the BCP president has come out clearly to accuse the UDC president of being inaccessible. The BCP, through the publicity secretary, has accused the UDC leadership of unilateral decision-making.”
He further pointed out that these matters shape the geopolitical environment back to the mistrust and lack of collegiality of the olden days. He said he had observed that the resuscitation of the BCP from the perils of 2014 underperformance has come to dog the UDC.
In addition, he stated that several factors account for this, in addition to the traditional animosity between the two parties, the BCP flexes its muscles as the main victor of the 2019 electoral gains, whilst BNF emerged vanquished.
He said these issues will influence matters going into 2024 and play a critical role in determining whether other parties will join the UDC.
To clearly show that indeed there are problems within UDC, spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa released a statement regarding Bophirima ward.
“UDC has noted with regret some statements that have been made distorting the proper situation in Bophirima ward. These statements are meant to deliberately distort the UDC NEC resolutions. It is therefore necessary to put the situation into proper context to dispel uncertainties and confusion. The talks that UDC got into BCP led to some wards and constituencies being shared between the two,” Mohwasa said.
“When UDC expelled Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), which was after the allocation process had colluded, it resolved to afford a special dispensation to BMD members who had already won primaries and identified as candidates. They were given a deadline by which they were to indicate if they wished to stand under UDC. Many did. Bophirima was one of those wards.”
Mohwasa’s letter added that Mankie Sekete wrote and was endorsed by UDC and on January 29, the UDC national executive committee affirmed the resolution. The letter says that the UDC 2019 state of affairs remains in force.