BPP in the horns a dilemma

The formation of Alliance for Progressives (AP) by Ndaba Gaolathe and his supporters after falling out with Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), has reportedly put Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP) in a quagmine. Indications are that, the majority of the party members of the BPP Central Committee (CC) want to cut ties with the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and join hands with the new kid on the block.

This is the group that feels that the UDC blundered in its reconciliation efforts between the Gaolathe-led and Pilane-led BMD. The group insists that Gaolathe was given a raw deal. “Our headache comes from the fact that, while most of us prefer to work with Gaolathe, we cannot as a party, de-affiliate from the UDC because that would be suicidal. We do not as yet know the presence of the AP in the constituencies and wards we have been awarded to contest at the 2019 general election,” said one BPP council candidate.

He explained that the party has a better chance of doing well in its wards and constituencies if it remains in the UDC where the BCP is. “We lost the Tati West constituency because we split votes with the Botswana Congress Party which was not part of the UDC at the time. The BCP is very strong in the north where we are contesting. “Hence we stand a good chance of doing well when in the UDC because, if we leave the UDC, the BCP will be allocated all our wards and constituencies and chances are that we will lose very badly and that might be the end of the party,” said the source. “Besides, although there are problems in the UDC, convincing the voters to leave it for anything else may confuse the voters and present something of a challenge.”