Saleshando unveils BCP’s 2024 master plan
Chakalisa Dube | Monday July 24, 2023 06:00
The two entities have been bickering for some time. The BCP has constantly accused the UDC leader, Duma Boko, of absolute authoritarianism. Boko has, however, denied the accusations in various platforms. Imaginably, the biggest challenge for the BCP might be that the party has decided not to totally ditch the UDC for fear of triggering mass by-elections. Fear to totally quit the UDC creates a narrative that the BCP is not that righteous as it portrays itself. The argument from political commentators is that if the BCP feels that the UDC is ideologically disorientated and does not subscribe to good governance, then it should totally quit the opposition coalition. But the most intriguing thing at the congress was the way the BCP president, Dumelang Saleshando fashioned his speech. To a certain degree, the BCP president used the conference to lay down the strategic or tactical tasks that the party will embark on to give more grounds to voters to choose it and its partners, at the 2024 General Election, instead of the UDC or the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). The approach in which Saleshando crafted his speech is, however, not surprising. The BCP finds itself in a very perilous position and has lost several councillors and Members of Parliament who were against the party’s decision to quit the UDC. The BCP has also fared badly in by-elections it has contested outside the UDC.
From his speech, it is also clear that the BCP will direct much of its focus to countering the narrative that it is not a broadminded party and wants little to do with opposition unity. Furthermore, at the conference, Saleshando made various key pronouncements that can be viewed as a tactical reaction to the onslaught or key challenges that the party is facing. Firstly, he made assertions that the party will begin preparations for the primaries much earlier than usual. “To prepare for the 2024 polls, the party will commence the process of candidate selection by conducting primary elections in the months of August and September. The process of deciding our key election pledges will also commence at this congress to make sure that our message is well understood by our members and the voters. Our manifesto will officially be launched before Christmas,” he said. Announcing the primaries early does not only portray the BCP as a party that is committed to democracy and economic prosperity of Botswana, analysts have said. This might be a well calculated strategy to ensure that the party manages the aftermath of the primaries earlier so that they do not overshadow its overall transition from the UDC. If the primaries were to be held late, managing their repercussions would make it arduous for the party to sufficiently position itself as a viable entity, as well as recovering from the effects of exiting the coalition. Furthermore, it is probably that Saleshando knows that concluding the primaries and immediately launching the manifesto, instead of waiting for next year would be very fundamental. This would allow the party ample time to elaborate its election pledges to Batswana.
The move would expectedly provide a significant advantage to the BCP and help increase the party’s presence across the country. Starting early will also allow the party to identify issues and concerns and address them before they become major problems. From Saleshando’s speech it is also evident that one of the tactics that the BCP will use to build enthusiasm around its campaign will be presenting a UDC associated with former president Ian Khama as a liability. There is widespread perception that under Khama’s leadership Botswana regressed in various areas such as adhering to the rule of law. At the height of his reign the opposition labelled him a dictator. He quit the BDP and helped form the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) after his fall out with his ‘preferred’ successor Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi. The BPF intends to work with the UDC at the next general election.
The BCP has always had reservations about the UDC’s obsession with Khama. Khama is also considered an enemy of the working class. During his era, government was considered to be anti-workers. It is not surprising that one of the strategies that the BCP want to use to galvanise its campaign is to discourage the working class from backing an entity associated with Khama. From Saleshando’s speech, it is clear that going forward the BCP will be determined to sell itself as a perfect entity to address the plight of the working class. “We will consult unions not just in industrial relations matters but about all policies that are needed to save our country. This is because the BCP is a party of ordinary working men and women and understands the sacrifices workers make to ensure that this country thrives,” Saleshando said at the conference.