BDP aims to retain Bophirima ward
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) says it will go all out to ensure that it retains the vacant Bophirima ward in the Gaborone Bonnington South constituency. Of recent, the BDP has been losing badly in by-elections. Out of 12 that have so far been held, the BDP has only won three wards and lost nine to opposition parties. The candidate for BDP is Onkemetse Mothei while opposition parties are yet to decide on their candidate. The position for a council seat for Bophirima ward became vacant after the death of area councillor Kagiso Mongwaketse on January 12, 2022. The loss has forced the party to conduct an internal audit or evaluation to check what might be contributing to its losses.
Some of the things that have been hinted to have contributed to the BDP’s loss in the recent by-elections are internal bickering by some members, failure to support the party candidate by those who had contested with him or her during the party primary elections.
In an interview with BDP communication sub-committee chairperson, Kagelelo Kentse on Wednesday, he said they had to make sure that they hold their primary elections in time to allow members to have enough time to campaign.
“One will remember that we did not have enough time to campaign in the previous by-election since we held primaries late. Again, some of our members who had contested with the party candidate are also part of the campaigns. This
time we hope that peace, which seems to be prevailing at Bophirima ward will work for us. Again the party has dispatched some members to assist in the campaigns.”
The BDP’s political education and election committee (PEEC) is newly chosen and its work has started as partly to organise how campaigns are going to roll out or unfold.
He said their approach to this by-election is going to be different from others since they have enough time to plan and trace where some voters are and these are those who had registered to vote in the 2019 general election at Bophirima ward. Kentse said there is a possibility that some voters might have relocated to other areas or moved outside Gaborone. He continued: “We can’t disclose some of our strategies because the opponents might use it to defeat us. Again, you should understand that when the party is united, it is difficult to defeat it. Therefore, I am certain that there is peace and cooperation in that ward and constituency, which will make things easier for us.” He further revealed that the feedback they are getting from the members who do house-to-house campaigns is promising and urged the BDP followers to continue being united and cooperative so that they retain the ward.
He, however, said they hope that opposition parties’ differences in that ward will work for them as some might decide to cast votes for them if they feel frustrated.
Meanwhile, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) manager of elections and field operations, Dintle Rapoo said his office is ready and they are just waiting for the election instrument to hold the elections. He said 1,964 people had registered to vote in 2019 at Bophirima ward and only 1,621 cast their vote. During the 2019 general election, the BDP got 731 votes, Alliance for Progressives (AP) got 333, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) 437 and the independent candidate got 113 votes.