His statement last week once again revealed the widening gap between supporters and critics of the umbrella model of cooperation adopted by opposition parties. But can the detractors of the umbrella do things differently from airing their views through penning opinion pieces in the media?Ntime did what others thought unthinkable by writing a liberal letter to the media proposing the new direction that should be taken in the opposition talks. To some, he is even an ideological traitor who speaks out of turn. But the word that everyone is forgetting is compromise. No, not forgetting. Rather, the word compromise has been demonised this year. When the BDP decided to compromise and not hold election at its Mahalapye congress, the party leader was branded a dictator.
In a way then, compromise is a word so demonised yet the opposition needs it. But still the parties will be scared to be termed hypocrites for doing what they counselled against only a couple of moths ago. But they can not do without it?Compromise it appears is the in word in politics globally. In the United Kingdom, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have to compromise over policy positions almost all the time. In the USA, Republicans and Democrats have had to compromise to continue government business.
