BCP 2024’s opposition of choice

BCP was part of a seismic moment that saw the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) unseating the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) after a 58-year rule. Although the BCP was eyeing 31 seats, which were needed to win government, the party which was formed in 1998 managed to garner 15 parliamentary seats, a historic feat. In this past election, the BCP has improved its standing in Botswana’s political landscape. For the first time in history, the BCP has increased the number of legislators to double digits, a figure they do not share with any coalition.

In their electoral debut in 1999, the BCP managed one seat and also secured the same in the 2004 General Election. In 2009 the party did quite well with its alliance with the Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) and they managed to scoop four constituencies. In 2014, it was a debacle among other considerations when it only managed three MPs with its president, Dumelang Saleshando losing his parliamentary seat. This was after the BCP opted out of the UDC. But the BCP later joined the UDC and won 11 MPs in the 2019 General Election.