BDP popular vote high under Masisi
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday March 31, 2023 15:21
Despite all his differences with his former boss, Ian Khama, Masisi managed to win the 2019 General Election with a high popular vote after 10 years of popular vote decline in his party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
All was not easy in the five years as party President as he had enemies in and outside his party.
Masisi experienced a second split as some of the BDP members who were sympathetic to Khama defected to form a new party called Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF).
The first split was in 2010 during Khama's tenure when some of the BDP members who were supporting the late Gomolemo Motswalaedi defected to form Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).
Just after the formation of BPF, Khama defected from the BDP to become a patron of the new party and then openly de-campaigned his predecessor.
Masisi was faced with the task of reuniting the party and reviving collapsed structures. This changed the ball game altogether as he (Masisi), was forced to travel around the country to explain to Batswana why he and Khama are fighting.
In his five years as President, Masisi had managed to unite his party and consolidated it. Even though his party has not done well in the northern side of the country, it has also done extremely well in the southern part of the country.
Again, some BDP members who had left the party to join opposition parties during Khama’s time, are slowly returning to it for example the likes of Kentse Rammidi, a former MP and Cabinet member have re-joined the BDP.
Recently at Shoshong party event, Masisi who is also the helmsman at the BDP announced that he wants the ruling party’s popular vote to hover around 60% to 70% in the coming general election.
In the 2019 General Election, according to an Independent Electoral Elections report, the BDP garnered a popular vote of 52%, seconded by Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) with 36%. As for local government seats contested for and won per political parties, it shows that the BDP contested in all 490 polling districts and won 334 seats.
It was followed by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), which contested in 484 polling districts and won 129 seats. The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Alliance for Progressives (AP), and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) won 17, six and one respectively. Out of the 200 independent candidates who contested in Local Government elections, only four won.
But of late, the BDP has not been doing well in the by-elections something that has left some members unhappy.
In an interview with the BDP secretary general, Kavis Kario said their loss in some by-elections calls members and well-wishers to upscale efforts and togetherness in campaigns.
"We must pay attention to the aspirations of our communities and become the embodiment of our people’s desires. President Masisi has done well for the party and we are committed to ensuring that he wins the 2024 general election. Currently, BDP is the only stable party, there is no doubt about that," Kario sdaid.
He pointed out that a notable decline was recorded at the 2014 polls owing largely to a significant departure from custom practices and policies in government marked by general disregard for therisanyo (consultation) as a cornerstone of democratic principles.
Still other matters, he said through the reset agenda championed by party President Masisi, they have retraced their steps to consult more with members of the party and Batswana in general.
In addition, he said the government has also intensified efforts to open opportunities with international partners for trade, scholarships and jobs here at home and abroad as a way to improve livelihoods.
He said at the party level, they have reopened channels of engagement and mutual respect with the trade union movement and civil society at large, something that was not done before.
The BDP secretary-general said they have also rekindled BDP members to take ownership of, trust and respect party processes to mortar unity for a purpose amongst all members.