BPP push for more constituencies

Chakalisa Dube | Tuesday February 28, 2017 18:00

 

The resolution was taken at the BPP executive meeting held here on  Saturday.

The BPP was allocated four constituencies to contest in the 2019 general elections, but have since rejected the offer saying it leaves them under-represented within the opposition coalition. The BPP has been allocated Tati East, Tati West, Serowe South and Serowe North.

Last month, the BPP wrote a letter to fellow UDC partners demanding an addition of four constituencies.

“Yes, we have resolved to write a follow-up letter to the UDC president, Duma Boko demanding to know why they have not responded to our letter in which we wanted more constituencies,” BPP president Motlatsi Molapise told Mmegi yesterday.

Molapise said that the follow-up letter, expected to be delivered some time this week, would be addressed to UDC secretary general Ndaba Gaolathe and Boko.

The letter of demand by the BPP was written last month, just days before the UDC announced that it has entered into a coalition agreement with the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). Initial partners of the UDC are the BPP, Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).

Also, Molapise said that if the UDC leadership does not respond to the follow-up letter the BPP has resolved to engage the initial conveners of the Umbrella party to help resolve the constituency allocation debacle.

“Although they were not part of the current talks, we believe that they can help us resolve differences revolving around constituency allocation,” he said. 

UDC spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa said that he will wait for the follow-up letter to be presented at the executive meeting before he can comment.

In a hard-hitting statement last month, the BPP Youth League president, Takula Lenyatso noted that giving them four constituencies implies that the BPP has been pushed to the edge and considered a non-significant component of the larger UDC.

“We have moved to demand the central committee to secure at least eight constituencies in order for the deal to be considered inclusive and for the BPP to attain fair representation countrywide,” read the statement.  The BNF got 22 constituencies, BCP 17 while the BMD will contest the elections in 14 constituencies.