The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) has accelerated its 2024 general election plans for Parliamentary and Council candidates. The party recently called on its members to express their interest in candidacy for the upcoming election, according to The Botswana Gazette. The BPF cited that this move would help the party to better allocate its candidates throughout the country. The party’s resolution calls for expressions of interest from members in Council and Parliamentary districts across the country.
The BPF further explained that the call for expressions of interest would assist in the allocation of constituencies alongside their fellow Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) contracting partners. However, the BPF is yet to be formally welcomed into the opposition coalition, and the decision to join the UDC has yet to be endorsed by the congress. The decision, which was adopted last year, was met with contention within the party.
While the majority of constituencies reportedly approved the decision, some, particularly those in the central region, were against the move, citing a lack of consultation. The congress that was supposed to endorse the decision was postponed due to internal bickering, which threatened the party’s stability.
In an interview with The Botswana Gazette, BPF Chairman Moemedi Kudumane reassured the public that the declaration of candidacy would not affect the party’s working relationship with the UDC. Kudumane stated that their members were aware that declaring their candidacy did not guarantee the position and that there was a possibility of the UDC allocating the respective area to another contracting partner.
“Even if we have sent out a call for expression of interest, we have told our members to bear in mind that going forward, there is a possibility that those who declared might lose the candidacy to the UDC contracting partners,” said Kudumane. “If our member declared candidacy and the UDC later allocates the respective area to another contracting partner, our candidate will have to pave the way.”
The BPF has positioned itself as a serious contender in the upcoming 2024 general elections. The party’s recent call for expressions of interest is just one of the many steps that it will take to ensure that it has the best possible candidates in place for the election.