Limping BDP meets resurgent BCP
Chakalisa Dube | Friday January 20, 2017 15:02
The BDP has fielded the unheralded Thabo Dimeku while the BCP has settled for its veteran activist, Area Gabathusi who was a candidate in the 2014 general election. The by-election will seek to replace the fallen area councillor, Gobonetse Kenosi who died three months ago.
Both parties have heightened campaigns in the last few weeks, but this time around conditions look unfavourable for the ruling party. In recent weeks campaigns for the ruling party have been hit by a wave of unrest.
Sampling the chances of the two parties, the BDP faces a tricky tie tomorrow. Some democrats in the ward have already declared their unhappiness with the way the primaries were held. There is a perception that Dimeku was favoured.
The aggrieved members even demanded that the Palapye branch chairperson Samuel Maeka be recalled on account that he was not doing enough to help the party win the ward by-election.
This is a similar trend that worked against the ruling party at the Phillip Matante East by-election in April last year. In fact, the party has even acknowledged that some of its members have conceded that they will not vote the party in the build-up to the tomorrow election.
Should the members not change their stance, this will mean that ruling party may struggle to retain the ward. The BDP may triumph in the event that the party members do not initiate the idea not to vote Dimeku because it has the figures.
The BDP cruised to victory in the last general elections after garnering 708 votes against the BCP’s 596. The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) who are backing the BCP managed a paltry 24 votes.
Another dynamic is that tradition shows that BDP has often struggled where it has held primaries. Since the 2014 general election the party has lost in all wards it has not held primaries.
The secretary general Botsalo Ntuane even suggested that the party should settle for a compromise candidate because primaries are usually divisive and can cost the party the by-election.
The BDP may survive on account that it has retained all the wards in by-elections held since the 2014 general elections.
On the other hand the BCP comes into the election high in confidence.
The party has looked more stable than in the 2014 general elections. During the build up to the 2014 general elections many BCP members were greatly divided over their party’s decision not join hands with the UDC.
The said members vowed not to vote the BCP at the general elections. Now the BCP looks intact and its anticipated move to join the UDC may attract voters to vote the party, which may grant the BCP victory.
The recent announcement by the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) that it will back the BCP may also serve as a confidence booster to the party.
Trade unions have proved powerful in recent years and have often contributed significantly to the success of the opposition in the past elections hence the decision of the BMWU to back the BCP should not be taken lightly.
The BCP candidate Gabathusi is also highly revered in the constituency. The fact that some people have reservations about Dimeku’s credentials gives Gabathusi an edge.
BCP campaign manager Gaone Samme recently told Mmegi that their campaign has gone smoothly and they have covered much ground ahead of the much-anticipated by-election. “We did a lot of campaigning during the festive season because the majority of voters where within reach as they had come for the holidays. We covered the entire ward and the response has been positive,” said
He added: “We believe that this time around we have a very good chance of winning the by-election. In the last general election, some of our voters did not vote because they where unhappy that the party was not part of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).”
“The UDC has also been making inroads in the ward. We anticipate more voters from them at the by-election,” she further noted.