These problems have led to some members leaving the party, whilst others have withdrawn from active politics. Some members are openly questioning the legitimacy of the election process. The main concern amongst dissatisfied party members is how the election process was managed, particularly the lack of transparency from the party’s Central Committee (CC) regarding the reasons behind vetting decisions and the outcomes of appeals. All BDP primary election results appeals were rejected, except for one parliamentary appeal.
Over the weekend, members such as Dithapelo Tshotego and Kemmonye Sekati resigned from the party, whilst Kesego Okie, who had shown interest in representing the Gaborone South constituency, announced her decision to leave the party. Okie expressed her discontent with how her candidacy for the primaries was handled, as well as, the selection of the current candidate for Gaborone South, Alfred Moatlhaping. Moatlhaping was appointed after multiple members, including Okie, had expressed interest in contesting following the recent death of former Member of Parliament, Dumezweni Mthimkhulu. For the first time, the BDP held its primaries late in an election year, which limited the time available for the party to follow its standard procedures, such as offering post-election counselling to those who had lost. With time running short, it became apparent that the party wasn't prepared to allow for re-runs of certain elections.
