BCP refuses to make way

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday July 27, 2015 18:03

 

The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) has turned down a request from the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) to withdraw from the Goodhope by-election and rally behind the opposition’s unity cause.

There were anxious moments last Friday outside a Goodhope home where a Botswana Congress Party (BCP) central committee delegation met with their candidate for three hours to mull over the UDC proposal, which they would later reject.

Their candidate Comfort Maruping attended the meeting and some BCP elders in Goodhope while the BCP central committee delegation was led by its secretary general Kentse Rammidi.

A sizeable crowd of about 10 started pacing up and down as the tête-à-tête continued into the third hour. 

But the BCP top brass and the invited village elders soon emerged from what appeared to have been a heated meeting to announce their decision to submit their candidate’s name to Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

The BCP submitted their candidate name around 3pm while the other two parties BDP and UDC had submitted theirs before lunchtime.

The BCP secretary general Rammidi said the reason why they had to consult their members about withdrawal from contesting was after the UDC leadership asked them to do so.

“UDC leadership wrote a letter to us and we had a meeting to discuss the issue. Our members felt that it was late to withdraw to pave the way to UDC candidate Kgosi Lotlamoreng II. “Their argument is that they had already incurred costs,” Rammidi explained.

He said had the UDC approached them earlier, and then his party could not have contested. Meanwhile, on the other side the BDP candidate Eric Molale said he has reconciled with people that he was contesting primary elections with.

“What is very important is unity and that is why the party ensured that it listens to all complaints that were raised by some people whom I was contesting with. We have talked and agreed. Now we are working together to win this constituency from the opposition party,” Molale said.

Fankie Motsaathebe who wanted to take BDP to court also agreed that they solved their problem on Thursday night.

“I did not go to court because some party elders talked to me. I now support Molale fully. We will be leading his campaigning in the area,” Motsaathebe said. He said he informed his lawyers about his decision not to take BDP to court late Thursday night. 

The bye-election is expected to be held on August 15 and the three parties, the ruling BDP, UDC and the BCP will be wowing voters on the day.