BCP targets by-election MoU before unity talks
Chakalisa Dube | Tuesday January 12, 2016 11:54
The Sekoma ward, in the Jwaneng-Mabutsane constituency, fell vacant following the passing away of councillor Makalare Ngomme of the UDC just before the Christmas holidays. Although the writ is still to be issued, the by-election is expected to be held in March.
The BCP recently submitted an MoU to the UDC requesting that the two parties work together in by-elections whilst waiting for the formalisation of the coalition talks.
The UDC is yet to respond to the proposal, but BCP officials have declared with optimism that the UDC will respond soon.
BCP president Dumelang Saleshando confirmed his party’s move yesterday. “I am very hopeful that we will reach a positive conclusion on the MoU before the by-election in Sekoma. We are waiting for the UDC to respond to our MoU proposal and I highly anticipate that they will do so positively before the by-election in Sekoma.”
The BCP’s first target is to complete the MoU on by-elections before they start unity talks. Should they reach an agreement on the MoU, it will set a good tone for unity talks.
Both the BCP and the UDC have reiterated that they anticipate unity talks to take place this year.
Saleshando said that signing of the MoU would also demonstrate that the two parties are committed to working with each other.
Yesterday, the UDC head of elections Tapiso Kgosikoma also expressed hope that the MoU will be signed soon.
“We (UDC and BCP) will definitely meet soon and I am very optimistic that the MoU will be signed before the Sekoma by-election. If at all the MoU is not signed I believe we will still work with each other at the by-election,” he said.
Should the MoU come to pass it will mean that one of the two parties would pave way for the party which is best placed to win the by-election if there is a vacancy.
The MoU will also mean parties support each other during by-election campaigns among others.
In the absence of the MoU, the two parties in the second half of last year mutually agreed to work with each other in by-elections. The BCP in the process supported the UDC at Boswelatlou ward in Lobatse, an election the UDC won.