We want our party out of UDC - BPF Mahalapye West members
Asection of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) members in the Mahalapye West constituency is calling for the party to withdraw from the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
The members calling themselves the “Concerned Group” believe that the BPF is strong enough on its own to contest and win in Mahalapye West, adding that the party does not need to be under the UDC wings.
The group believes that the Botswana Democratic Party splinter party is not only strong in Mahalapye West, but several other areas as well.
In a petition to the BPF leadership bearing 25 signatures, the members were adamant that they were not willing to accept being part of the UDC. They added they were prepared to vote as a bloc against any candidate imposed on them.
David Tshere is the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Mahalapye West and is earmarked to stand unopposed as the UDC candidate for the area in the October general election.
He was formerly with the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) which until recently was an affiliate of the UDC before the Dumelang Saleshando-led party pulled out of the coalition. Tshere together with two other MPs, Never Tshabang and Onneetse Ramogapi, were suspended and later expelled from the BCP for defying a party caucus.
Meanwhile in their petition, the BPF’s ‘Concerned Group’ wrote, “Please, give our party back to the masses. We are aware that we cannot make 100% membership, but we are ready for such eventuality, and will give our vote to any other properly organised opposition party in our constituency, not UDC.”
In response to enquiries by The Monitor, BPF publicity secretary Amogelang Mokwena said; “We haven’t received any petition, but we have come across such correspondence on social media purporting to come from some of our members.”
Mokwena said it would be unfortunate if indeed the petitioners are truly BPF members. She, however, would not deny that some of their members in Mahalapye may be unhappy that Mahalapye West was given to UDC to manage for the coalition.
He highlighted the need for members to abide by party regulations, adding that as a UDC member BPF was bound to respect decisions taken by consensus. Mokwena dismissed the notion that BPF could win the elections on its own without the support of its willing partners.