�Opposition cooperation is a precondition for 2014�

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Saturday March 1, 2014 18:22

 

The results also indicate that both parties could have won 16 constituencies between them had they been cooperated. The constituencies include Gaborone North where the BDP won with a slight margin, witness 3,741votes for the BDP, 3,498 for the BCP and 1,234 for the BNF. Altogether the opposition tallied 4,732 votes.

In Gaborone South, the BDP garnered 2,853 votes, the BNF 2,361 and the BCP 1,726. In Selibe-Phikwe East, the BDP won with 3,717 votes while the BCP attracted 3,170, the BNF 701 and an independent candidate135 votes. All opposition votes added up made 4,087. In Tswapong South, the BDP won with 5,178 votes, the BCP –garnered 2,428 votes and the BNF 750. The opposition tally was 3,178, which was a low turnout.

In Shoshong the BDP attracted 4,820 votes, the BNF 4,817 and the BCP 579. Opposition parties tallied 5,396 votes and could have easily won the constituency. Other constituencies where the opposition did well and could have easily ousted the BDP if they had worked together are Gaborone West, Boteti North, South East South, Mogoditshane, Molepolole North, Letlhakeng East, Letlhakeng West, Maun West, Francistown West and Francistown South.

Both the BCP and the BNF did well mainly in the country’s major villages, towns and cities where the BDP stood to lose by opposition cooperation. The villages include Mochudi, Palapye, Mahalapye and Ramotswa while the towns and cities include Selibe-Phikwe, Lobatse, Jwaneng, Maun and Gaborone. The 2009 general election results show clearly that the BCP and BNF’s failure to cooperate cost both parties tremendously to the advantage of the BDP.

However, it seems opposition parties in Botswana are not mature enough to realise and practice this. For instance, in the last general elections in Kgatleng East, the BCP’s Phillip Monowe garnered 3,894 votes, the BNF’s Isaac Mabiletsa 6,768 while the BDP’s Isaac Davids attracted 5,101 votes. Even if the BNF won the elections, the evidence is that the two opposition parties would have achieved an emphatic ouster of the BDP with a margin of 5,551if they had worked together. The combined opposition votes totalled10,662 votes.                 

In Kgatleng West, again in the last general elections, the BCP got 2,672 votes, the BNF 4,817 while BDP won with 5,493 votes. Even here, the two opposition parties could have beaten BDP’s Gilbert Mangole with a huge margin had they worked together. The 2009 opposition votes tallied 7,489, leaving the DBP trailing behind by1,996 votes.

Sadly for the opposition, more voter apathy is expected in this year’s general elections, especially that negotiations for unity or an electoral pact failed. With internecine bickering in which the BCP and the Umbrella for Democratic Change are blamed for this failure, calls to punish these parties can only benefit the BDP. But there is a glimmer of hope over the horizon this year because the BCP has announced that it will support other opposition parties in constituencies where it has no candidates.

Professor of politics at the University of Botswana, David Sebudubudu, says there is need for opposition parties to cooperate, especially the BNF and the BCP.  He is convinced that opposition parties would improve their chances of electoral success if they approached the electorate as a combined force. “It is important that opposition parties cooperate, but they have failed to form a coalition since 1999, he told Mmegi.

 Constituencies where the opposition parties can win include Maun West, Francistown South, Selibe-Phikwe East, Tswapong South, Shoshong, Kgatleng West, Gaborone North, Gaborone South, Gaborone West North, Boteti North, South East South, Mogoditshane, Molepolole North, Letlhakaneng East and Letlhakaeng West.