BCP confident of taking state power in 2024
Botswana Congress Party (BCP) has expressed confidence of going it alone at the next general election and taking power from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
The BCP which affirmed the decision of the central committee to contest outside the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) during its leadership forum will contest general election outside the UDC for the second time. It first did the same in 2014 where it performed badly.
The BCP Publicity Secretary Dr. Mpho Pheko said the leadership forum was successful and inspiring. She said the forum unanimously made affirmation of the Central Committee’s decision to contest the 2024 elections under its own name, colours and symbols.
She stated that this is due to recognition of the clear threat the BDP and UDC pose to development and national security due to the two Parties’ disdain for good democratic governance and the two Presidents’ vulnerability to capture by private interests.
“The forum was remarkable for the high levels of confidence attendees expressed about the Party’s prospects for 2024, demonstrable unity and cohesion, and confidence in President Dumelang Saleshando and his leadership team.
“The attendees also expressed commitment to the Party’s inviolable principles of good democratic governance and aversion to state capture”, the BCP spokesperson explained.
She stated that the Leadership Forum is not a decision-making structure; but a consultative platform at which the national leadership briefs different layers of leadership on the wellbeing of the Party, Central Committee decisions between conferences, developments within the Party and nationally, and any other consequential issues. It also accords other leadership structures an opportunity to give feedback to the national leadership.
The forum highlighted unanimous affirmation of the Party’s commitment to good democratic governance, recognising that it differentiates the BCP from both the BDP and the UDC.
“We further discussed the overwhelming commitment to the Party and its ideals by the majority of BCP councillors in the face of ongoing brazen attempts by the UDC to destabilise the BCP by poaching its councillors”, she pointed out adding that the party reflected on transformative proposals for a consequential Manifesto for 2024 as well as the Party’s election strategy.
“The forum acknowledged that joining UDC was a drawback as the decision almost contaminated the Party’s values, culture and commitment to good governance, and almost weakened the Party in constituencies the Party did not contest in 2019.