BCP shuts door on coalition with other parties
Botswana Congress Party (BCP) President, Dumelang Saleshando says his party would not be entering into any coalitions or collaborations with other political parties for the upcoming general elections.
Saleshando’s declaration of BCP’s independence reflects a belief in the party’s ability to make a mark on the political landscape without relying on other parties’ support.
In a move that clarifies BCP’s strategy, Saleshando announced that his party would continue their arrangement with the Botswana Labour Party (BLP) only. e symbol used will be the BCP symbol.
e agreement between BCP and BLP shows that the two parties share the same ideas and goals. Saleshando believes that his party can win more than 31 seats in parliament, which would give BCP most seats and therefore control of government. “I have a strong team capable of making government, I can feel it in my bones, we will win 31 seats”, Saleshando said Expanding on his reasons for abstaining from coalitions with other opposition parties, Saleshando suggested that previous experience had left him disillusioned with such arrangements. According to the BCP president, his party had learned valuable lessons from past coalition efforts, which he believes were ultimately unproductive or unsatisfactory.
is past experience, combined with Saleshando’s confidence in BCP’s ability to achieve a parliamentary majority on its own, has driven his decision to avoid alliances with other opposition parties.
“At Sabbath we were taught not to share the yolk with nonbelievers. I do not share ties with them, and I am well aware of their character, which is why I am unwilling to collaborate with them”, he said. Saleshando cited BCP’s preparedness as another reason for the party’s independent stance in the upcoming election. Having already launched a majority of their parliamentary candidates, including himself as the presidential candidate, Saleshando believes that BCP has already done the necessary groundwork to contest the election on its own terms. This groundwork includes building a team of candidates who share BCP’s ideology and goals, conducting the necessary campaigning and outreach to voters, and developing a clear strategy for winning a majority of seats in parliament. In a nod to BCP’s history and heritage, Saleshando dedicated this year’s election campaign to Michael Dingake, the party’s late founding president. Saleshando drew parallels between Dingake’s leadership and BCP’s current organisational strength, suggesting that Dingake’s legacy of disciplined, purposeful leadership serves as an inspiration for the party’s present-day efforts to secure a parliamentary majority.
Under the government of the BCP, he said, there will be a minimum wage of P4000 per month and an unemployment benefit of P600 for youth to address economic disparities plaguing the nation.