BCP rallies behind Saleshando
Oarabile Mosikare | Wednesday March 18, 2015 10:33
Saleshando lost the Gaborone Central constituency to Phenyo Butale of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) last October. He had been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency since defeating Margaret Nasha of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2004.
In the last general elections, in which he lost to youthful Butale, BCP garnered 140,998 votes nationally while the UDC got 207,113. The BDP got 320,647 votes. As a result BCP won three constituencies to the UDC’s 17 seats while the BDP claimed 37 parliamentary seats.
Immediately after the general elections, there were calls for the BCP to join the UDC. The party however said it was still assessing its performance at the general elections outcome.
At the moment Saleshando remains unopposed for the position of the president of the BCP. Kesitegile Gobotswang is likely to contest the vice presidency.
A University of Botswana don Nevah Tshabang is likely to contest as the secretary general while Refiloe Aphiri will stand for the deputy secretary general position.
The MP for Selebi-Phikwe West, Dithapelo Keorapetse is likely to replace Taolo Lucas as the publicity secretary of the party. He confirmed he was standing. It is not yet clear whether Lucas is interested in being a Central Committee member.
He could not be reached for comment at press time. Lucas has been the publicity secretary since the last party congress in 2011. Though he held the position of BCP secretary general, he has largely been known as the party’s spokesperson.
A former BCP Youth League leader Lotty Manyapetsa will contest the position of national organising secretary. He has also confirmed he would seek re-election.
Meanwhile, Saleshando said the BCP had the best manifesto in terms of key challenges facing the nation like issues of governance, economy, particularly unemployment and citizen empowerment, education and land issue.
He said his party, which he noted was pro-opposition cooperation, was still busy with carrying out its own assessment.
“We are pro-opposition cooperation. We will talk to other opposition parties on a model we think will work,” he said, without stating a time frame.