BNF prepares for first primary elections
Botswana National Front (BNF) this week undertook a situation analysis of the constituencies allocated to it by Umbrella for Democratic Change.
BNF is in a coalition with other opposition parties. BNF Secretary General Moeti Mohwasa revealed on Wednesday that the party central committee and the Electoral Board would be visiting some of the regions among them Southern and South Central to do a situation analysis to prepare for primary elections.
The BNF according to Mohwasa wants to conduct its first set of primary elections in the last quarter of this year. He said the last round would be done during the first quarter of next year.
“The aim is that by the time registration for general elections starts then we are done with our primaries. We want at that time to solely focus on registering eligible voters for the 2019 general election. This is because primary elections have their own challenges in terms of appeals so we want before October next year to have concluded our internal exercise,” said Mohwasa.
He indicated that Wards in various constituencies allocated the BNF are currently doing audits of membership who will be participating in the primaries. He said membership drive is the responsibility of Wards as per the Constitution of the BNF. He said records of membership from various wards are used to compile a voters’ roll for a constituency.
“The situation analysis would assist us in ensuring that when we hold elections there are no outstanding issues. Some of the regions that we would be visiting there are constituencies that might not be able to hold primaries in the first batch. Moshupa-Manyana and Lentsweletau-Mmopane are within the regions to be visited but would not form part of the first batch of elections”, he said.
Currently BNF and its contracting partner in the Umbrella for Democratic Change coalition, Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) have not finalised their differences on the aforementioned constituencies. They both want to bag the two constituencies. Constituency negotiating teams are yet to give report on the two constituencies to the UDC leadership.