Botswana’s opposition parties are hopeful about possibilities of opposition co-operation in the next general elections of 2014.
“There is every possibility that we may work with BMD in the future, these possibilities, of course, will be determined by the new party’s formation and their programme,” said Taolo Lucas, secretary general of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).
On his part, Moeti Mohwasa, Information and Publicity secretary of BNF, said: “We believe that one day the Botswana National Front (BNF) will be working with the BMD because we believe in opposition co-operation.”
Observers say the 2014 elections are expected to be the most interesting elections since the inception of party politics in Botswana because of the growth of the opposition, which grew.
The circle of opposition recently widened after a breakaway party from BDP joined the spectacle.
So far, the new party, BMD is assured of at least three MPs.
The issue, however, is whether BMD poses a threat to opposition parties, such as the BNF and the BCP, which recently concluded a merger with the Botswana Alliance Movement.
Mohwasa said that he would not rule out possibilities of co-operation with BMD in the future but for now the party welcomed the BMD to opposition politics with open arms.
He said that there are certain people that both BCP and BNF could not attract to join the opposition but BMD has managed to attract them therefore increasing opposition power.
“BMD’s alignment with opposition politics has obviously weakened the ruling party and has added to the ascending voices against the ruling party’s ways,” said Mohwasa.
Lucas said that they too welcomed the concerns raised against the ruling party by BMD.
“We applaud their courage in refusing to succumb to their president’s dictatorship,” said Lucas, adding that this development is a clear indication of what BCP has always felt against the ruling party.
Lucas said that the BCP had no doubt that BMD would form part of the coalition of opposition parties that will eventually weaken the ruling party’s position. He stated that BCP doesn’t view BMD as competition per say but as part of a widening circle of people who are against the ruling party’s ways. In the past, BCP and BNF have held unity talks which ended up collapsing because none of the two was willing to compromise their party’s stand.
