UDC finally devise strategies for October polls
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday June 18, 2024 08:34
Only the central committee members of the parties attended the meeting. Recently, the UDC has been relatively quiet when it comes to election activities. This silence has led many to questioning whether the UDC is genuinely aiming to win or if it has become content with being the second or third opposition party. In the 2014 and 2019 General Elections, by this time the UDC was ahead with campaigns compared to all the other parties and it was well resourced. Again, most of the primary elections were done a year before the general election, as compared to what is happening this year. The UDC president, Duma Boko, had called for all affiliates' central committees to convene and discuss strategic patterns for strong campaigns and effective recruitments. Another critical issue on the agenda was election funding, fund raising, and plans for the manifesto launch. As the UDC prepares to launch its manifesto and unveil some candidates, internal conflicts over wards and constituencies remain unresolved. Over the weekend, the president urged members to address any issues or obstacles that could impede UDC's campaign efforts.
He encouraged all the party central committees to work diligently in their assigned constituencies to secure victory. However, all parties were asked to have finish any pending primary elections since training for candidates and campaign teams are about to start. The secretary-generals are expected to manage some of the internal issues the parties face. According to a source, each party has been tasked with setting specific targets for the number of constituencies and council seats it aims to win. The UDC affiliates were instructed not to attack the BPF and to cooperate with them in their constituencies if necessary. According to a source, the UDC leader stressed the importance of opposition party cooperation and cautioned against greed. He highlighted that if all opposition parties compete in the same areas, it would give the BDP an advantage. Mmegi has learned that in areas like Serowe, the BPF and the BNF are quietly exploring ways to cooperate. The BNF indicated it would contest if the BPF did not concede certain wards. The 2019 general election results showed that the BPF won some constituencies by slim margins. If the UDC and BPF compete against each other, the BDP could easily win those constituencies and wards. Other constituencies that might give the BDP an advantage if the UDC and BPF compete against each other include Mahalapye and some of their wards.
In an interview, UDC spokesperson, Moeti Mohwasa, said; “the Central Committees of the affiliate parties met precisely to discuss the manifesto and preparations for the general elections. Since this is not a formal structure, it would not be proper to refer to its outcomes as resolutions. So we will say there were recommendations made to the NEC, which we cannot share as the conversation was purely internal.” He said the meeting was part of the consultative process, which will continue with a workshop for candidates and structures on June 22 and 23 in Palapye. According to Mohwasa, it will be followed by another one in Jwaneng on June 29 and 30. He, however, said the outcomes from all these conversations will remain internal except where it becomes necessary to share with the public. Meanwhile, the BPF withdrew from the UDC coalition last month and its effort to negotiate for pact model has failed as UDC refused. Currently, some BPF members have negotiated with UDC directly to contest using their ticket while some structures in different constituencies are trying to find ways to cooperate.