AP seeks ‘imperfect’ UDC relationship
As they begin fresh negotiations with the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), the Alliance for Progressives (AP) president Ndaba Gaolathe has revealed that they are looking for an imperfect relationship with the 11-year-old opposition coalition.
This comes after Gaolathe and other AP leaders withdrew from cooperation talks with the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and the Botswana Labour Party (BLP) on Friday, this time for good. The AP is a splinter party from the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) a former ally of the UDC. When Gaolathe and others formed the AP, they dumped the BMD led by Sidney Pilane at the UDC before it (the Pilane-led BMD) was expelled from the coalition.
The AP comes into a coalition which is already divided and according to Gaolathe, they are on course to find ‘a horse that can pull through’ together towards the 2024 General Election. When the BCP and the AP started negotiations last year before the BLP joined, the two parties thought they were like-minded only for them to reach a four months deadlock over seven constituencies. As they dust off their hooves from the dirt they gathered during the four months deadlock, the AP says they are now looking for a horse that will help pull more weight ahead of 2024.
Speaking to the media recently, Gaolathe said when they talk about working together and pulling together, challenges are always likely to arise. “Botswana is not looking for a perfect union. We are not supposed to think that we can save our country if there is a perfect union. We have to explore all options even an imperfect arrangement,” he said.
Gaolathe, who once served as the vice president of the UDC before the BMD split in 2017 to form AP, added that there is no one-size-fits-all model.
“There are some people who think it will only work if it is a merged arrangement, some believe in an umbrella while some want a pact and non compete arrangement but we should not be slaves of paradigms. We should do everything that we can to pull together regardless of the model,” he highlighted.
He said as they enter negotiations with the UDC, they are expecting challenges. The former Gaborone Bonnington South legislator pointed out that their main objective is to make this work even if it is an imperfect arrangement.
“When we talk about an imperfect relationship or union it has nothing to do with some of these positions people are throwing around,” he said. Gaolathe said they will explore other ways of working with the UDC without being members.
He said even though they have alienated with the BCP, they will not mind being part of the UDC that includes the BCP. “Our wish is to see all of us as the opposition working together. That is why I encourage AP members not to attack the BCP because you never know if we could work together in the future,” he added. Commenting on reports that he has cut a deal with the UDC president Duma Boko and that he will be given the position of secretary-general (SG) for the UDC, Gaolathe indicated that he had not negotiated with the UDC but rather the negotiations will begin soon.
“They say I have a closed deal with Boko. It is true that I regularly meet with Boko. Boko is a person I talk to about issues concerning the country. It is true that we dream together about what is best for Botswana. The rumours that I am being enticed by leadership positions are totally untrue. You all know that for a long time they have tried to lure us with leadership positions but we are still here”. Gaolathe added that people should be patient and let the negotiations run.