It's final: BCP will battle BDP and UDC
Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is confident that it will do well in the upcoming 2024 general elections even as they will once again be contesting as a stand-alone entity away from the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) .
Party President, Dumelang Saleshando revealed that the party will go to the polls under the name and banner of the BCP, having taken the decision to dump the UDC at their annual congress in Tutume. They will not be wasting any time as they will soon start on the solo journey towards 2014 by issuing writ of elections.
Because of this decision, Saleshando said they have abandoned the court case that they had against the UDC as they are no longer interested in a being part of that coalition, and therefore will have an out of court settlement with the UDC instead.
He revealed that as party, they had resolved to ensure that the elderly, disabled and the youth who want to stand for primary elections under the BCP should pay only 50 percent of the attendant party fees. In addition, the central committee has decided to ensure that representatives from remote settlements should also pay 50 percent.
Saleshando said they will also consult different stakeholders regarding the development of their manifesto, which he said, will contain issues of human rights and issues that seek to ensure that the larger economy benefits citizens.
Saleshando said a low income economy is a policy strategy for the BDP as they lure international investors through low wages for workers among other things. “We want to propose a high-income economy in our manifesto,”
Saleshando explained, adding that they want an economy that works for all. He said this is possible to do and their manifesto will indicate how they will get there.
In an interview with The Midweek Sun, Saleshando noted that they are confident they will perform well in the upcoming elections. He noted that BCP got above 30 percent of the popular vote in the by-elections that have been held so far, giving them hope for the future elections.
He said that in 2014 their popular vote stood at 20 percent and now they believe they have what it takes to go above 40 percent and strive for 50 percent of the popular vote.
“We are presenting to the voters a very stable political party,” Saleshando said, adding that this is the unique selling point of the BCP as there is law and order within their party.
Saleshando noted that the BCP saved the UDC in the last elections, saying if it was not for them, the UDC would have died in 2019. He said that they delivered 55 percent of the constituencies they were given, a number that other parties could not achieve.
He said they will not be there to save the UDC brand in the next elections as they will be defending their own brand and values.