BPP demands more constituencies from UDC
Chakalisa Dube | Tuesday September 26, 2023 06:00
The UDC is a coalition of opposition parties and Molapise made these remarks during a BPP congress held here on Saturday. The congress marked a notable change, as it attracted a sizable crowd and had delegates attending from as far as Tutume and Mosetse.
Additionally, during the congress, the party welcomed nominated councillor Gilbert Boikhutso, who had defected from the ruling party. Molapise implied that other UDC partners were less than forthright during negotiations for constituency allocations leading up to the 2019 General Election. In total, the BPP contested in only five constituencies during the last general elections. "In 2019 we got a very raw deal. We did not get most of the constituencies we demanded from the UDC.
Francistown is our base. We could have been given more constituencies in Francistown, but the majority were allocated to the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) despite our absolute disapproval," he expressed. Molapise went on to assert that the BPP would vigorously advocate for a more substantial number of constituencies under the UDC ticket for the 2024 General Election. "The Botswana Movement for Democratic (BMD) acted out of compassion and gave us Francistown West in 2019.
This time we should be wiser and strongly advocate for the interests of our party. If we do not fight for our party it will collapse under our watch. Coalitions can make or break a party, especially when they are not approached with tact," he cautioned. Molapise bemoaned that the BPP had previously suffered setbacks due to making considerable sacrifices in an attempt to establish progressive partnerships with other opposition parties. "We should not take that route again. We should make sure that all compromises we make when going into partnerships with other parties do not negate our growth or interest as the BPP," he emphasised.
The Monitor has learnt that the BPP has officially submitted an expression of interest to the UDC leadership, requesting more constituencies than they were allocated in 2019. The additional constituencies they seek are Francistown East, Gaborone North, Gaborone South, Mochudi East, Ramotswa, and Mogoditshane, all to contest in 2024.
However, reports are suggesting that other opposition parties view the BPP's demands as excessive, particularly as they believe the BPP lacks sufficient structures in many parts of the country. Molapise also voiced his frustration about BPP members who prioritise UDC activities over those of their party. "There are some of our members who regularly hold rallies or activities in the name of UDC instead of our party. They must desist from doing so. We must present ourselves to the UDC as a relevant and likeable entity. We can only do so when we organise our own rallies and mobilisation activities," he insisted.