Count out says Saleshando

Delivering a statement on the party central committee’s resolution following the Palapye meeting on opposition cooperation, Saleshando said the committee found it clear that the Umbrella model was unattainable in the short-term.

 The BCP has been working on the Umbrella model along with the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Botswana People’s Party (BPP) since April last year. “Given the disagreement among the negotiating parties on the principles that should inform the sharing of constituencies and wards and considering the compromises that were proposed by the BCP to break the deadlock, which were not acceptable to some of the negotiating partners, it is apparent that the Umbrella model is not an attainable option in the short term,” he said.

Saleshando said the central committee “recognises that there is need” to maintain focus on the 2014 general election.

“The cooperation project should not be allowed to become a source of unending bickering within the opposition (ranks), Batswana expect all opposition parties to engage the [Botswana Democratic Party] and present their alternative policies in a clear and coherent manner, individually or as a collective,” he said. Saleshando said a “hastily cobbled up arrangement” that does not guarantee stability and sustenance of government is not what the party is looking for.

However, BCP chiefs say that they remain convinced that there is “scope” for possible cooperation of opposition parties in the run-up to the 2014 general election. 

Saleshando announced that the party has mandated the party leadership to “engage other willing opposition parties” on possible options of electoral cooperation and to present such proposals to the annual July conference.

The BCP is also open to possible “post election collaboration and power sharing arrangements with willing opposition parties,” Saleshando added.