Botswana will go to the polls in less than three months. The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is the only party that has thus far launched its manifesto-a move that was lauded by political observers. Political observers are of the view that for a party to perform well in an election, it has to craft a manifesto that articulates a clear vision and policy direction for the country. In contrast to the BDP, the BCP primaries were not marred by logistical challenges. The BCP also registered a few primary objections which it managed to swiftly resolve within a reasonable time. The country’s main opposition party, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), a coalition of the Botswana National Front (BNF), Botswana People’s Party (BPP) and Alliance for Progressives (AP), is also battling demons of its own. Some of its affiliates, BCP and Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) have pulled out of the coalition.
There is also a looming threat of double fielding of candidates between some of the UDC contracting parties which need to be urgently resolved while little time is left before the next general elections. Analysts posit that these intraparty conflicts between the UDC contracting parties will be the undoing of the coalition in the forthcoming general elections and will hand BDP victory. All the while, critics recently latched onto the BDP after it tried to table three infamous Bills: Presidents (Pensions and Retirement Benefits) (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Bill No. 12 of 2024); Former Vice-Presidents (Pensions and Retirement Benefits) Bill, 2024 (Bill No. 13 of 2024); and Ministers and National Assembly Gratuities and Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Bill No. 14 of 2024). Following intense pressure from the public and opposition parties, State Presidency Minister, Kabo Morwaeng withdrew the tabling of the Bills saying that there was need for further consultation. Adjectives such as “greed” and phrases like “day light robbery” were some of the words that were used by the detractors of the BDP to discredit it and its leadership following Morwaeng’s plan to table them during the ongoing winter session of Parliament. While there is nothing wrong with attacking the character of opponents in politics, Jeffrey Jarman, a Whichita State University US professor in the US who specialises in political communication, posits that campaigns should be more about policy issues and less about character assassination. "Candidates who spend too much time talking about the issues of their opponent will always face a more difficult time winning the election," said Jarman. Jarman said this recently in the midst of the heated US political campaigns which pit old foes, Republican Party and Democratic Party. Jarman said if the Democrats are serious about winning the US elections in November, they should focus less on attacking Republican nominee Donald Trump’s character but should focus more on policy issues.Trump is fond of attacking the character of his opponents.
