BCP hangs in the balance
The Botswana National Front and the Botswana Peoples’ Party have allegedly resolved to suspend the Botswana Congress Party from the three-member opposition coalition, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) with immediate effect.
At a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Palapye last month, the BNF and BPP accused the BCP of being fond of washing the coalition’s dirty linen in public through the media.
Further, the two members of the UDC demanded that their partner retract the controversial statements it had made about the Umbrella and apologise for the same.
The BCP would have none of that and instead, defended itself by blaming the offence on the President of the Coalition and BNF, Duma Boko whom they accused of failure to convene NEC meetings where the coalition partners would discuss issues.
The BCP also complained that the UDC leader had ignored their written concerns to him relating to ‘’governance issues.”
Predictably the BCP, which had been given up to the next UDC NEC meeting scheduled for June 25th, indicated at the onset that they would neither retract nor apologise for anything.
By press time, the party was yet to apologise and indications are that they do not intend to do so. In anticipation of a rebuff, the BNF and BPP have allegedly resolved to suspend the BCP from the UDC at the Saturday meeting in Palapye.
Speaking to this publication on condition of anonymity, an official of the BCP Youth League said that while he remains uncertain about the veracity of the allegations of his party being targeted for suspension from the UDC, he does not see himself agonising that much should the rumour turn out to be true.
“Staying in the UDC has been problematic because our issues as a partner are never addressed. Boko is simply not comfortable with leaders like those of the BCP who challenge his dictatorial tendencies and decisions. He is also eying BCP constituencies and wards either for the BNF or BPP in order to keep the BCP weak,” the BCPYL official said.
His position is that the Moselewapula ward rally over the weekend organised by the BNF and BPP was in bad faith. The rally was called at the behest of Boko with the intention to destabilise the BCP before giving the ward to the BPP, the official said.
Speaking to Botswana Guardian in an interview, the publicity secretary of the BCP, Dr. Mpho Pheko said they are aware of the rumour about the suspension of their party from the UDC.
“We do not have any further information beyond that. All I can say is that we are ready for anything that comes our way. As BCP, we are committed to the ideal of opposition cooperation in general and are not necessarily married to any particular political party,” Pheko said.
When asked to confirm or deny the allegations of the suspension of the BCP, the UDC Head of Communications, Moeti Mohwasa, could only say, “I know nothing about that.”