BCP in good shape – Pheko
Chakalisa Dube | Monday October 16, 2023 06:00
On the contrary, the BCP leader Dumelang Saleshando and party operatives have often exuded confidence that their party is still a viable entity and will provide formidable alternative and bring political change for the country. The BCP first round of the primaries has been held in nine constituencies. The primaries solely target card carrying members of the party or those who qualified to take part in partisan politics. Sampling figures from the party primaries, some have submitted that the BCP has not been totally rattled by its detachment from the UDC. Most of the figures recorded at the primaries were close to half of the numbers the BCP achieved at the 2019 General Election under the UDC. For example, at the primaries in Okavango West, the party achieved a total of 2,928 votes. In Okavango East a total of 3,051 voted. The above figures to some extent highlight that the potency of the party in the Okavango area has not totally waned. The BCP, under the UDC, achieved 7,577 votes in 2019 in Okavango. That was before the Okavango constituency was divided into two areas, being Okavango East and West early this year following a delimitation exercise.
In Selebi-Phikwe West 1,061 people voted for Reuben Kaizer, while Professor Brothers Malema managed 520 votes from the recent BCP primaries. The figure is not far from the 3,998 that the party achieved at the 2019 General Election under the UDC. Considering that several people have also left the town since the last general elections owing to tough economic conditions, the proposition that can be drawn from the BCP primaries is that the party structures in the region are still reasonably solid. In Palapye, Gape Motswaledi attracted 1,364 against Ethel Gaampone’s 787. Statistics for 2018 leading to the 2019 General Election can also be used as a strong indicator that the BCP is still rationally stable in the constituency. In 2018 Obenetse Ramogapi beat Gaampone by 843 votes to 411. To sum up, some BCP members could not vote at the primaries because some polling stations opened late than expected. Others could not vote because of the new delimitations which have resulted in relocations to different wards and/or polling stations. Despite the inspiring figures, Maundeni postulated that primary elections are difficult to analyse, and their numbers could be deceiving. “The numbers can particularly be confusing because supporters of other parties do vote in primary elections of other parties. It is known that some Batswana have cards for three different parties and they vote in primary elections of all those parties. So, it's not easy to tell from primary elections as to who supports which party,” he said.
However, Maundeni stated that holding the primaries earlier will to a certain degree be beneficial to the BCP. He said: “What we can say though, is that holding early primary elections helps to stabilise the party, an important signal that the party is stable and trustworthy. It helps the party to deal with thorny matters that could endanger its survivability”. On the contrary, this week the BCP spokesperson Professor Mpho Pheko maintained that the party’s recent primaries can be used as a yardstick for the next polls. She also highlighted that the elections were extremely successful based on the turnout in several constituencies. “The success of our primary elections is a clear indication that our efforts are bearing fruits. We are now confident that the BCP is in a good position to contest for state power in 2024,” she said. “Our objective was to demonstrate democracy in action, and this has been achieved. We are the only party that is committed to primary elections and democracy so far. Yes, being part of the UDC has somewhat weakened our structures. We had to part ways with five MPs, some sitting councillors, and some members,” Pheko stated.
She added that the party has been working around the clock since the 2019 elections to rebuild its structures. “We pray that Batswana begin to realise that the BCP is the party taking them seriously. We continue to argue that the party that wants state power should begin by demonstrating its readiness and respect for good governance and the rule of law before contesting for national elections. That party is the BCP,” Pheko said.