06 Dec 2017

The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) will conduct its primary elections in the 18 constituencies held by the opposition on January 20, 2018,  BDP secretary general, Mr Mpho Balopi has revealed.

Addressing a press conference Tuesday, Mr Balopi said in all the 18 constituencies the BDP had MPs who were unopposed in eight constituencies.

The eight constituencies, he said, were Gaborone North, Tlokweng, Gaborone Central, Gaborone Bonnington North, Kanye South, Good Hope/Mabule, Maun West and Selebi Phikwe West.

For the 39 BDP held constituencies, he said primary elections would be held on August 11, 2018, adding that the party would close the registration of candidates who would contest in the 39 constituencies on May 31, 2018.

The BDP secretary general said the party took a decision to postpone all its primary elections from October 2017, and to wait for the Court of Appeal’s final judgement on the case regarding the participation of civil servants in primary elections, which was ruled in the government’s favour.

Furthermore, Mr Balopi said amongst all, the most important date of transition in Botswana was March 31, 2018 when President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama would pass the baton of leadership to Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi.

The BDP secretary general said the peaceful transition of power, from one president to another, showed that Botswana was blessed to have the BDP as a ruling party. “The leadership of the BDP is anointed in an amazing way,” said Mr Balopi, adding that “what was happening in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia is all about change of leadership.

But here we are four months to come and are confident that President Khama, as he had said in his State-of-the Nation Address, will hand over leadership to his Vice President, Mr Masisi to take over as President of Botswana,” he said.

“Where do you find such easily in Africa. We have to count our blessings, one by one, and we will realise how blessed we are as a nation. Every one of us is at ease and confident that even as we go for the festive season, here in Botswana the peaceful transition of power will surely happen when the right moment comes,” he added.

On March 16 and 17, 2018, Mr Balopi said the BDP would hold a national council. “Our national council is an annual council, which is constitutional. It looks at the constitution to ensure its in line with governments and would benefit Batswana.

“It will be a very special council because it will be the last council addressed by President Khama and also ushering in the incoming President, and at the same time we will be left with only a few days for us to say goodbye to President Khama,” he said.

“But, we will not be saying goodbye to him as a BDP member, but thanking him as the President of Botswana and that of the BDP,” he added.

Still in 2018, the BDP secretary general said the party would hold its Special Extraordinary Congress in June 8 to 9, in Gaborone.

The BDP Special Extraordinary Congress, he said, took a decision in Mmadinare in 2015 that “whenever we have an elective congress, the mode or the mood is about elections and we don’t interrogate things that can’t enhance the way we govern Batswana.”

To address this, he said the BDP decided to hold congresses that would interrogate and discuss issues that could help it govern Batswana going forward, hence its annual Special Extraordinary Congress. BOPA