The Botswana Congress Party has made a number of far reaching concessions as part of a strategy to entice the smaller Botswana Alliance Movement into a deal.
As a result of BCP concessions, the two will this weekend be signing an agreement spelling out how the two opposition parties will be cooperating in the next coming general elections.
The deal between the two parties is likely to inflict casualties in a number of ruling party heavyweights.
The likely victims of the alliance include a number of ruling party strongholds including those constituencies held by cabinet ministers.
Although the contents of the agreement remain confidential, The Sunday Standard can confirm that under the agreement BAM will contest Francistown West.
The leader of BAM will also contest the Ramotswa constituency but under the BCP ticket.
Another constituency that the BCP has agreed to shed to BAM is Ngami, currently held by the ruling party’s Jacob Nkate.
If the last general elections results are anything to go by, the combined force of BAM and BCP will see Nkate lose the constituency to the BAM/BCP alliance.
In the last elections the BDP polled 5291.
In turn, BAM got 3922 votes while the BCP went away with 2361.
In return BAM has agreed to support the BCP in their stronghold constituency of Nkange, a development that could see the current area Member of Parliament and assistant Minister Ambrose Masalila packing.
The two parties have also resolved to minimize disruptions and confusion caused by the use of different discs in a constituency.
Where the two work together, a single disc will be used.
