17 Jul 2014

As the country readies for national elections in October, two political movements have scheduled annual conferences that will pave way for elections.

The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) will hold a three-day conference in Gaborone that will be officially opened on Sunday, July 20 at Ledumang Senior Secondary School.

Mr Akanyang Magama, the BCP deputy secretary general, said among the topics to be discussed are the party’s constitutional amendment as well as receiving reports on the state of the party, financial report and taking reports about preparation for the coming general elections.

The Umbrella for Democratic Change conference is scheduled for Serowe at Swaneng Hill School.

The UDC’s head of elections, Mr Tapiso Kgosikoma, said the conference will start on Saturday, July 19, with a joint official opening by leaders of the three parties that make up the UDC: the Botswana National Front, Botswana Movement for Democracy and Botswana People’s Party.

Friends of the umbrella formation parties will also convey solidarity messages after the official opening. Mr Kgosikoma said afterwards, the three parties will hold individual conferences until Sunday and the joint official closing will be performed on Monday 21.

Mr  Kgosikoma said the individual party conferences are due to the fact that the three umbrella formation parties are technically autonomous and controlled by their constitutions.

“The parties are still bound by their constitutions and answerable to their individual membership,” he said. Mr Kgosikoma said in the afternoon, Monday, the UDC will launch all council and parliamentary candidates for Serowe East, North and West.

Campaign manual for UDC will be launched and be distributed to candidates. Meanwhile, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) will not hold any meeting.

BDP deputy executive secretary, Mr Lee Lesetedi, said the party only holds congresses every two years, hence the upcoming President’s Day holidays will be spent launching the candidates around the country. ENDS