24 Aug 2014

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has called on democrats to make an informed decision and vote for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and not an individual.

Speaking at a BDP star rally in Mosolotshane on Saturday August 23, the leader of the ruling party said BDP supporters should put the party first and not individuals, urging them to vote in large numbers during the upcoming general elections.

President Khama said BDP is the only party that has the interest of the masses at heart with its good policies geared towards improving the lives of Batswana. 

He advised voters that independent candidates should be ignored as they have nothing to offer.

He requested the residents to vote for the party prospective parliamentary candidate for Shoshong, Mr Phillip Makgalemele and council hopefuls.

To those still aggrieved over the BDP primary elections, President Khama advised them that they still have an opportunity to contest the next elections in five years to come, which they would well prepare for.

He said he has appointed a team led by MP for Ngwaketse South, Mr Peter Siele to investigate the BDP primary elections whose findings would be presented at the next BDP congress. 

He said the primary elections processes would therefore be reviewed. President Khama stated that the ruling party manifesto contains good policies and programmes that could improve the living standards of Batswana such as the poverty eradication initiatives, LIMID, ISPAAD, YES and Ipelegeng.

The BDP manifesto advocates for development and since it ruled the country it has achieved tremendous developments in the country when compared to the times when the country attained independence in 1966.

The BDP leader also denied claims that he has endorsed an independent candidate in that constituency, adding that the BDP does not recognise such candidates, as they believe that they are only interested in leadership position.

He said such people should be ignored because they are just causing confusion, adding that independent candidates who left the BDP would not be allowed back into the  party.

He requested Batswana who vote for opposition parties to first assess if such parties have the ability to lead the country, particularly that they do not have policies and programmes that they could sell to Batswana and are only good at criticising and accusing the ruling party of corruption .

The President said he would continue visiting Batswana to get first hnd information on challenges they faced and finding solutions on how best such problems could be tackled.

He urged the residents to go and vote, as complacency could prove disastrous to the ruling party and the country at large.

For his part, Mr Makgelemele promised to work hard together with his team of seven prospective council candidates to bring developments to the constituency.

Mr Makgalemele said the BDP won four council wards in the last elections in the constituency while the opposition parties won two while there was one independent councillor.  

He called on Batswana not to give the opposition parties any council ward, but instead vote for the ruling party in all the seven council wards. Ends