Trying times for political parties :: Mmegi Online

With only a few months before the country goes to the polls, Botswana’s political parties are yet to start their campaigns in earnest with the majority of them gripped by political brouhaha that continues to steal peace from their ranks. Mmegi Staff Writers RYDER GABATHUSE & LEBOGANG MOSIKARE report that in the exception of the new-kid-on-the-political-block, Alliance for Progressives (AP), older parties, ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), tri-party coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and its former partner Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), have lately been grappling with factionalism

FRANCISTOWN: Interestingly, all the parties have held their primary elections last year ahead of time in an endeavour to have sufficient time to lead their campaigns ahead of the General Election. In Botswana’s political system, it is the state President who issues a writ of the general elections and that means he is the custodian of the date of the elections.

Although the President leads his party in contesting for the elections, he and his party are advantaged in knowing at least when such elections will be held.

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