BDP hurt by Bophirima ward byelection loss
Spokesperson of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Kagelelo Kentse says his party is not happy with the outcome of the Bophirima by-election results, where it got second position with 245 votes. The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) was the winner with 335 votes, with the BCP taking the third position with 238 votes.
Out of the 13 ward byelection since the 2019 general election, the ruling party has won a paltry three wards, while the opposition have won a total of 10. When contacted for comment, Kagelelo lamented the results. “Yes, we have not done well in the 13 ward by-elections after the 2019 general election. We had wanted to win just like all the other parties. You do not go to war to lose so we are hurt by this loss. We have not been doing well in the by-elections and it is a cause for concern. By the look of things, there are both internal and external factors that contribute to our loses,” lamented the BDP official.
The way forward for the ruling party, according to Kentse is to regroup as a party. “We need to hold our hands and fix this together. It is our sole responsibility to protect this party and ensure we have a resounding victory come 2024,” stated the BDP mouthpiece.
Phenyo Butale, the secretary general of the Alliance for Progressives (AP) which backed the BCP in the by-election against the UDC and the BDP, is not worried about the loss. “We managed to make the statement that what we desire is a coalition of equals where mutual respect reigns supreme. It is not the first time that something like that happens. This is at least the third time that it happens. Despite the challenges, our common resolve as oppositioBnGpaNrtEieWswS il2l 9carry us through,“said Butale, who however admits that the BCP-AP alliance was in the competition to win. “Unfortunately, the decision on the candidate was made rather late. There was a lot to do within a very short period of time,” said Butale who is optimistic that the opposition will move forward together. The divisions within the UDC leading to the two camps failing to work together, was the outcome of the BCP and AP complaining that the UDC leader, Duma Boko makes unilateral decisions as he does not consider the other leaders as equals with him.
Efforts to interview the BCP failed as the party spokesperson, Dr Mpho Pheko did not pick her phone despite promising to talk to this publication. Asked whether the conflict in the UDC has not eroded the trust the people had in the UDC, the UDC Head of Communications, Moeti Mohwasa, answered in the negative. “I need to reiterate that this is not the first time that something like that happened. The people have communicated that they have unwavering trust in the UDC,” said Mohwasa, who suggested that the next thing the UDC intends to do is unite the people even further.