BCP leaders converge for introspection
Botswana Congress Party ( BCP) converges in Palapye this weekend for its leadership forum at a time when there are tensions with the coalition, Umbrella for Democratic Change ( UDC).
While the BCP leadership has expressed commitment to the UDC and dismissed reports of exiting the UDC to form a partnership with Alliance for Progressives ( AP), news from the BCP corridors is that it is already a done deal following agreement between the central committees of the two parties.
The BCP holds the forum at a time when its relationship with one of the contracting partners at UDC- the Botswana National Front ( BNF) has soured. This could be a make or break gathering of the BCP leadership.
Delegates to the leadership forum comprises the central committee, Members of Parliament, councillors, five delegates from the central committee of the Youth League and Women’s League, the chairperson and secretary of each constituency and region.
The forum is expected to be officially opened by the party President Dumelang Saleshando. The BCP Executive Secretary Akanyang Magama has revealed in a letter to various party structures that the main purpose of the forum will be to reflect on political and organisational development in the party since the 2019 general elections and exchange views on preparations for 2024 elections.
“Please note that this will not be a general meeting of party members and that only those invited as stipulated above should attend in order to comply with COVID- 19 protocols,” Magama cautioned.
According to sources the leadership forum is meant to prepare the BCP in case the UDC decides at its high- stakes meeting scheduled for the 21st of May 2022, to suspend or expel BCP from the coalition.
The meeting which was to be held last month was called off allegedly for parties to ‘ cool heads off’ following the controversial Bophirima Ward by- election. The highly contested by- election, which exposed the tension between BNF and BCP, saw the UDC winning the ward after the BCP fielded its candidate as a protest against
the decision of the UDC to field at BNF candidate. The BCP is said to be weighing its options whether to continue working with its partners in the UDC- BNF and Botswana People’s Party ( BPP) or to dump the UDC and form an alliance with AP.
UDC is currently in a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) with AP and Botswana Patriotic Front ( BPF) for by- elections. The agreement has since been marred by controversy after the BCP fielded a candidate against the UDC at Bophirima Ward. The BCP was supported by the AP in the by- election.
To add salt to injury in the UDC infighting, the Chairperson of the Negotiations Team Margret Nasha stated that the AP and the BCP have concluded their Framework for Cooperation papers and they will be availed by the set deadline of April 30th 2022.
“The BNF has requested for postponement for a period of three weeks.
Their reasons are that the UDC NEC is meeting on the 21st May 2022 where critical decisions will be made regarding the cooperation talks.
“Other parties have acceded to the request. Now the new deadline has been set for May 23rd 2022. Presidents of the opposition parties will have a meeting on the 25th of May 2022.
“Three parties being AP, BCP and BPF have forwarded the names of representatives who will attend the next meeting of the Negotiating Team,” Dr. Nasha said.
The statement by Nasha has been dismissed by the UDC through its Head of Communications Moeti Mohwasa who indicated that UDC contracting partners are not negotiating individually.
The UDC infighting, especially between BCP and BNF started post 2019 general elections when the BCP called for the democratisation of the UDC.
The BCP has demanded that there should be leadership elections in the UDC to do away with running of coalition using the Transitional Clause arguing that it is tantamount to running the organisation under a State of Emergency.