While the parties are still holding primary elections, the majority of candidates are being chosen through negotiation and consensus-building, rather than by winning a vote in the primary election. It has become evident that all three major parties in the country, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) prefer compromise to primaries. For example, the BCP has been using a combination of primary elections and a compromise process to choose candidates for the upcoming polls.
The compromise process involves negotiating and reaching a consensus, rather than holding an election to determine the winner. Some candidates are chosen through a vote in the primary elections, while others are chosen through a process of negotiation. The compromise candidates are part of the primary process but are not chosen through a vote. Similarly, the UDC has adopted the same model as it has started to unveil some of the candidates. It is out in the open that the party has agreed upon some candidates without holding primaries, while other candidates will be chosen in the primaries in March, 2024. Furthermore, UDC’s four affiliates, the Botswana National Front (BNF), the Botswana People’s Party (BPP), the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and the Alliance for Progressives (AP) are all using similar approaches.
