01 May 2019

An attorney representing Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has dismissed as false allegations by Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) that the former might not contest the 2019 elections under their banner.

Briefing the media on Tuesday, UDC counsel Mr Dick Bayford said the nature of relief that BMD was seeking from the court had nothing to do with elections, but the movement continued to tout misleading statements that the opposition coalition would not be permitted to campaign for the coming general election as a collective. “I think that is falsehood,” he stated.

Mr Bayford said the relief that BMD sought was that the court should nullify the decision by UDC to expel them from the coalition movement and order their reinstatement.

“With regards to the processes relating to elections or preparation for election, they mention nothing. Now they were hiding behind the argument that UDC would not be allowed to contest. They are making an empty statement,” explained Mr Bayford.

He further clarified that there was no court order precluding UDC and its membership from running for the 2019 election under the banner of UDC. “There is absolutely nothing as we speak now. There is no case before court intending to bar UDC from contesting the election in its own right,” he said.

The case in which BMD challenges its expulsion from UDC has been set for August 27-28. According to Mr Bayford, BMD was expelled from UDC last year in October and the notification of case to UDC was filed in December, at the time that the High Court went on vacation. ENDS