Balikani was the BPP president from 2006 to 2009 but later left the party to join the then ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2012. He received wide acclaim after accepting responsibility for the BPP’s heavy loss in the 2009 General Election and subsequently quit his position as the leader of the party-a rarity in the Botswana politics. In the 2009 General Election, Balikani was standing against Wynter Mmolotsi of the BDP and Vain Mamela of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). Political dynamics have shifted enormously after 2009 since Mmolotsi is the now new minister of Environment and Tourism under the banner of ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) while Mamela stood for a parliamentary seat under the BCP ticket in Francistown East.
Balikani said after his dismal loss in the 2009 polls: “This dismal loss on its own scarred the party very badly, and I take full responsibility for the embarrassment that this party suffered. It is against this background that I have decided to step down from the party leadership with immediate effect.” BPP insiders have told Mmegi that ‘Balikani’s audacious hope for the BPP’s presidency is a long shot’ since he is eyeing the presidency at a time when the party is rocked by internal fights which have led to the suspensions of key members pending disciplinary hearings for alleged misconduct. According to sources privy to what is happening in the organisation, even though the party tries to downplay the seriousness of its internal wrangling, so serious are the in-fighting and divisions within the BPP that they threaten to tear it apart.
