BPP snickers at BNF offer

The BPP says the last time the BNF contested the constituency was in 1989. During the 1989 general election, the BNF council candidate, James Mokgacha, managed only 44 votes.Fast forward to 2004 general elections, the BPP candidate, Jobe Edward lost the Makaleng ward by a slim margin of 88 votes to the late Albert Modise of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). The visually impaired Modise had garnered 392 while Edward managed 304 votes. Edward has since become headman at Matenge village.'I don't know if the BNF has support in this ward. It is almost 20 years since they have contested the ward,' explained Richard Gudu, the BPP director of elections. The BNF is reported to have said, it will support the BPP council candidate by not fielding a rival candidate at Makaleng. Responding to the Botswana National Front (BNF)'s decision to support BPP candidate during the by-election Gudu said his party has not received any correspondence from the main opposition party.

Gudu would not be drawn to comment whether or not the BNF gesture will enhance the electoral chances of the BPP. Gudu's party has resolved that it will not enter into any electoral agreement with other opposition political parties until after the 2009 general elections. Gudu says his party is busy engaged in a robust campaign to win Makaleng ward by-election. The BPP will not leave any stone unturned to win this marginal ward that falls under Tati West constituency.

This campaign, according to the BPP, entails house-to-house campaigns and holding political rallies to reach out to voters. Gudu disclosed that BPP charges have responded positively to the by-election by campaigning vigorously to win the ward from the BDP. 'I can tell we are going to snatch the ward away from the ruling party. We will not leave anything to chance. We are working very hard in this regard,' said Gudu. Soon the BPP will hold a primary election to determine who will stand for the by-election.

The oldest political party in the country used to be a force to reckon with, but has since become a regional party in the North East. The director of elections revealed that the 2004 general election margin says a lot about BPP visibility in the ward.The Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) is also preparing itself for the by-election. It will be the second time for BAM to contest the Makaleng ward. The last time BAM contested the ward was 10 years ago and Olefhile Nakedi was defeated by 26 votes.In 2004 it contested the election under PACT agreement with BNF and BPP. The party secretary general, Matlhomola Modise, disclosed that they have been preparing for the 2009 general election, but will shift their focus for the impending by-election.

'Our programme has been for the next years general elections. But we will have to change focus and channel our energies in this impeding by-election,' said Modise. The secretary general will not want comment on their strength at Makaleng. 'We cannot say we are going to win this by-election for now'.The BCP north region secretary, Morgan Moseki, explained that in terms of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between BAM and BCP both Tati East and Tati West are contested by BAM. 'In the coming election of 2009, BPP and BAM will be contesting the 2009 general election. BAM has got reason to contest that ward.

'The BPP has stated categorically that it is going at it alone. So if BAM wants to contest that ward, we will back it full time as a partner,' said Moseki. The former educationist, Damien Thapa is expected to stand under the BDP ticket to defend the ward from the opposition. Thapa and Modise were the only candidates that were vetted to contest the BDP 'bulela ditswe' primary elections.

Thapa will stand unopposed for the by-elections. The writ of election, in respect of Makaleng Ward, has not yet been announced.