It is hard for such words to come from a political leader. Usually politicians give all manner of excuses to explain failure even if they are the ones at fault. Has Balikani realised that the BPP needs a new leader who can resuscitate it to its former glory, when it used to be the main opposition party. A lot has been said and written about the dwindling performance of the BPP. After the departure of charismatic leaders like Phillip Matante and national anthem composer, Dr Tumediso Motsetse, the party has not been doing well. Its presence shrunk to the northern party of the country and its performance at the polls retrogressed to a meagre 1.4 percent of the national vote. The BPP fared so badly that even Nehemiah Modubule who stood as an independent candidate won as an MP, while the BPP only got three 45 council seats. With a measly total of 7,554 votes, the BPP performed worse than the independents with 10,464 votes. Looking at these facts, it is perhaps understandable that Balikani feels that the time has come for him to give the baton to someone else.
However, the Botswana National Front (BNF) president, Otsweletse Moupo, whose party has also not been doing well in the recent past has said that he will not resign. This is despite the fact that the party slid from 25.5 percent in 2004 to 23 percent in the 2009 elections. Recently, Moupo told a press conference that the BNF performed dismally because of protracted internal strife. "Politics is not like private companies where the board members can say because the company is not making profits, you must resign. The people of BNF will decide whom they want at the 2010 July congress. I was elected and will not just resign because a few malcontents are calling for my resignation," he said.
