A false start for opposition talks

UDC affiliates differ on representation

Opposition cooperation talks are once again marred by controversy as there is confusion on the negotiation model.

Opposition parties, Umbrella for Democratic Change ( UDC), Alliance for Progressives ( AP) and Botswana Patriotic Front ( BPF) have engaged in cooperation talks to work together towards the 2024 general election as a bloc. The talks, which were expected to have been concluded in February this year, have been delayed and this has been associated with the infighting experienced in the UDC. The UDC currently has three contracting members being Botswana Congress Party ( BCP), Botswana National Front ( BNF) and Botswana Peoples Party ( BPP).

Of recent, things have not been all rosy at the UDC due to the tension between BCP and BNF.

While the UDC has been known to be in the talks as one entity, last week the Negotiations Task Team Chairperson Dr. Magret Nasha singled out the BCP and the BNF as parties represented in the talks. She pointed out that the BCP has since submitted Framework papers while the BNF has asked for extension. There was no mention of the BPP.

She stated that the AP and the BCP have concluded their Framework for Cooperation papers and they will be availed by the set deadline being April 30th 2022. The BPF said they will submit their papers after the National Executive Committee ( NEC) meeting on the 2nd May 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 AP, BCP and BPF have forwarded the names of their representatives in the talks who will attend the next meeting of the Negotiating Team,” said Dr Nasha.

UDC Head of Communications, Moeti Mohwasa told Botswana Guardian that all the UDC affiliates, the BNF included, are supposed to submit their papers to the UDC NEC. This he said will enable it to develop a paper that will be shared with AP and BPF.

According to Mohwasa, the BNF is not a party to the talks and therefore cannot do so.

“Like we have said before, for any party to be a party to the talks, it has to make a request which will be considered by the three parties which are currently engaged in negotiations. The parties being AP, BPF and UDC. The UDC has not allowed its affiliates to negotiate individually. The UDC has never negotiated in any form but as a block. Just to give a background, the negotiations were prompted by a letter from BPF to UDC, which requested that we work together towards 2024 General Elections and beyond. There was another letter that came from AP which only talked about Metsimotlhabe by- election. The UDC NEC at its meeting which was held in Francistown resolved that we request AP to extend the horizon of cooperation beyond Metsimotlhabe by- election,” said Mohwasa, who is also BNF Secretary General.

He explained that after engagement with both AP and BPF, it was agreed that they start negotiations as the three parties being AP, BPF and UDC. This has been the case and as things stand currently that is the position, added Mohwasa. The UDC spokesperson said no party can be accepted without the three having deliberated on its admission to negotiations. He revealed that in all the documents and engagements so far, it is only the AP, BPF and UDC who are involved in negotiations. He said their affiliates negotiate through UDC.