This follows growing tensions and increasingly hostile campaigns amongst the party’s contesting members. The BCP's elective conference, scheduled for Mogoditshane during the President’s holidays, is expected to determine the composition of its next leadership. While the party leadership had earlier indicated that engaging an independent electoral body was under consideration, a final decision was yet to be made regarding the matter. In an interview on Thursday, BCP spokesperson, Greg Kelebonye said the responsibility for conducting and supervising this year's executive leadership elections rests with the party's electoral board.
"The mandate to conduct and supervise Botswana Congress Party executive leadership elections this year is held by the electoral board,” he told Mmegi. “We shall know how they have planned the elections to run when we, the Central Committee, meet with them on Sunday." However, his remarks suggest that the electoral board will present its roadmap for managing the elections during the meeting, including whether it intends to seek the services of an independent electoral body to enhance the credibility of the internal polls. The issue has attracted significant attention within the party as members prepare for what is shaping up to be one of the BCP's most fiercely contested leadership races in recent years.
