UDC drops party symbols for an umbrella

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday December 20, 2013 14:43

The three parties - the Botswana National Front (BNF), Botswana People’s Party (BPP) and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) - have applied to the Electoral Commission (IEC) to have their individual organisation’s symbols de-registered, and only have an umbrella as the election sign.

Initially the UDC logo had a big umbrella illustration with individual parties symbols prominently printed on the flaps. 

UDC Secretary General (SG) Gomolemo Motswaledi told Mmegi yesterday that they are waiting for confirmation of the new symbol from the IEC after they were forced to drop the original one as the on-going BNF court case is taking long to conclude.

“If BNF wins its case then we will apply for amendment of the symbol. The reason why we had de-registered our symbols is because we do not want anyone to use our party symbols,” said Motswaledi.

He said they are expecting an answer from IEC by the end of this week and only then would they communicate with relevant parties’ structures.

Motswaledi, who is also president of the BMD, refuted earlier reports that the UDC partners intended using BNF symbol for the upcoming general elections.  He insisted that the symbol approved by the IEC would be launched early in the year and that regional leadership of each party will communicate with members, as time was not in their favour.

He said the symbol is not complicated because it is still the same one, with only individual party identities removed.

But, as expected, mumblings are heard from the different parties’ structures, with some arguing that the introduction new symbols this late in the game may confuse members and voters, especially in the villages.  In the BNF particularly, campaigns using BNF symbol have been on going, and some regional party leaders have hinted that introducing a new one now may complicate matters.

But others are of the view that the survival of the UDC will depend on a clean break with individual identities, therefore using one symbol for the coming elections will show Batswana that these parties are serious about opposition unity.