Opposition parties brainstorm on unity

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Friday October 8, 2010 00:00

 A press statement from four political parties - the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), the Botswana National Front (BNF), the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) and the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) - described their October 6 meeting in Gaborone as 'historic'. The meeting discussed 'issues of common interest with a view to engaging in cooperation talks for the 2014 general elections,' the statement reads in part.

The parties were represented Dumelang Saleshando of the BCP, Duma Boko of the BNF, Gomolemo Motswaledi of the BMD and Whyte Marobela of the BPP. They were accompanied by their respective delegations. Following a cordial exchange of views, the quartet of parties resolved to convene a second consultative meeting on November 30, the statement says.

At the meeting, which was chaired by the BCP, the four parties agreed to chair consultative meetings on a rotational basis. The BNF was designated to preside over the next meeting in November.

The agenda of the next consultative meeting will include the appointment of the convener of the talks, a timetable for the talks going forward and terms of reference for the talks.

'Today's meetings is considered by the quartet as an important building block in the national endeavour to effect a democratic change of government in the forthcoming general elections,' the statement continues.

Pressed for details, BCP president Saleshando said the purpose of the meeting was to formally establish the commitment of the parties to the process of unity talks. 'We also wanted to see how we will move forward,' he said. 'We all know where each party stands and everyone involved is happy that the ball has started rolling.'