BCP could swallow BLP
Mompati Tlhankane | Tuesday May 9, 2023 06:00
Both BCP and BLP are splinter parties of the Botswana National Front (BNF). BCP in the past have swallowed other parties like Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM), National Democratic Front (NDF), and Marx, Engel, Lenin and Stalin (MELS) movement and still retained its name.
BCP recently confirmed that they will continue to forge a partnership with the BLP and the two are likely to form an allegiance ahead of the 2024 General Election.
While the two parties are yet to define their model of cooperation, the BCP is unlikely to lose its brand or agree to a total merger. Observers are wary that the merger between BCP and BLP will only lead to the latter being swallowed by the former. With what happened to BAM, NDF, and MELS, political pundits believe that there can never be a true merger between forces that are unequal in political strength.
Although they have rubbished the claims, BCP has been accused of adopting a big brother attitude where they swallowed BAM, NDF, and MELS by convincing the smaller parties to use its brand since it is a bigger party with a large footprint. Speaking of footprint, it is said that the BCP in their failed talks with the AP and BLP buoyed by its majority in Parliament and council wanted to merge the three into one political party called by its name. After abandoning the talks to start a new path with the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), the AP recently told the media that they strongly believe that the BCP was attempting to infiltrate the party and ultimately break it up. “This to us is an attempt to infiltrate and break our party. We take this as a serious transgression and that collapses whatever trust we had in the negotiations,” AP secretary-general, Phenyo Butale said.
The AP added they could not have a situation where one partner, the BCP, has upwards of 26 to 30 constituencies while the AP has just over 10 constituencies.
BCP spokesperson, Mpho Pheko recently told this publication that being assertive in one’s strengths should not be regarded as a big brother mentality. “Should proposing that each party should be supported where they are strong, be a big brother mentality? In our 25 years or so of existence we have toiled and soiled to build an assertive and resilient organisation.
We have an intact popular vote that is consistent throughout the various elections. Our understanding is that elections are a game of numbers, such that the BCP will never try to harvest where the party did not plant. So if we appear to flaunt some big brother mentality, should we accuse the other side of suffering from an inferiority complex or small man syndrome?” Pheko commented on reports that the BCP flaunts its big brother mentality. She said there is no other party in this country that has had successful working relationships with political parties like the BCP. She said they have a history of working very well with other political parties BAM, Botswana Progressive Union (BPU), Social Democratic Party (SDP), NDF, and MELS.
“In each case, the relationship evolved beautifully primarily because the partners dialogued in good faith, clear-minded about the purpose of their engagement and undistracted by deceitful side agendas. The BCP compromised immensely to ensure win-win outcomes,” she said. “For instance, in the case of BAM, they got seats in the executive, including the Vice Presidency and BCP sacrificed its then symbol, the dove, for BAM’s dairy cow. NDF gave us a Secretary General in the name of Phillip Monowe.
Our engagements with BPU, SDP and MELS were similarly honest, principled and purposeful.” Pheko said nothing about the AP's withdrawal from the cooperation talks with BCP and BLP, or the failed relationship with UDC suggests BCP cannot work with other parties.