The Umbrella must not fail Batswana
It is now clear that all is not well within the coalition of convenience, the Umbrella for Democratic Change ( UDC).
Reports that some Botswana Congress Party ( BCP) cadres are unhappy with how the UDC is being run should not be wished away. The BCP was this week conspicuously absent from a press conference addressed by the UDC president Duma Boko citing lack of proper consultation.
BCP proposed that the planned press conference be postponed to a later date to allow party leaders to meet and agree on what UDC needs to do for its own internal stability and for the good of the nation however the pleas fell on deaf ears as Boko went ahead with the press conference.
The bickering amongst UDC contracting parties, especially between the two main protagonists, the Botswana National Front ( BNF) and the BCP, has been going on for quite some time now.
The BCP has been calling for the democratisation of the UDC arguing that the party has to hold its elective congress.
But these calls were met with resistance from the BNF members with some of the party members using unpalatable language in defense of their posture. BNF should return to its old days of encouraging spirited debates that encourage self- criticism.
On face value it seems that there are no fundamental differences between the BNF and BCP especially when it comes to ideologies. The BCP president Dumelang Saleshando and Duma Boko of the BNF should therefore find a way of solving UDC problems.
In the interest of unity ahead of a decisive 2024 poll, the BCP’s calls for the democratisation of the UDC should be afforded a proper hearing lest they divide the opposition coalition.
If the UDC has to win state power it needs both the BCP and BNF in the coalition. UDC cannot afford to contest the next election limping. Boko’s led UDC need to resolve this matter with the urgency and sensitivity it deserves.
If history is any teacher, it would be inconceivable for UDC to entertain more divisions. As we know an opposition collective will surely give the already polarised Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) a run for its money.
Relying on blame games and finger pointing will not help either the BCP or BNF in guiding UDC to victory in 2024. It goes without saying that only a united opposition stands a better chance of interrupting BDP’s 55- year rule. Certainly it’s clear that any faction within the BNF or BCP opposed to the UDC is postponing the coalition’s chances of a formidable contribution to the political discourse in 2024 and beyond.
It is self- evident that the BNF or BCP, or any opposition party for that matter, cannot mount a meaningful and sustainable challenge to the ruling party on its own.
Playing ‘ Big Brother’ in the Umbrella is not only counterproductive but also reactionary, as this will delay real opportunities for regime change.
The dissenters and so- called extremists should rise above their parochial self interests and think of the masses of the disillusioned, jobless and hungry men and women who were aroused by the formation of the UDC that promised real change to Batswana.
They should see the bigger picture, which for all intents and purposes must be the eventual attainment of state power - not a symbol of a party, or which candidate stands in which constituency. The onus is on Boko to provide guidance and leadership to the party during this trying time.