The BPP, which is in a tripartite coalition of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), has for a long time suffered enormous electoral defeats in the general polls and was for decades without a single Member of Parliament (MP). The UDC is a coalition of the BPP, Botswana National Front (BNF) and Alliance for Progressives (AP). The BPP gained a legislator after Francistown West lawmaker Moswaane defected from the then-ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2020. By then, the BPP gained a legislator after 35 years despite being one of the oldest political movements in the country.
The party has also been registering a single-digit number of councillors, especially in the North East District where it has a considerable following. Weighing on the party’s success at the last General Election that also ushered in the UDC to its historic attainment of state power, Moswaane credited the BPP’s president Motlatsi Molapise for a job well done. “When I joined the BPP, president Molapise launched a campaign to revive the party to fully prepare for the 2024 General Election. I was given the role of political education and I travelled around the country reviving our structures that were not fully functional and setting up others in places where they didn't exist,” said Moswaane. “I'm very happy because the UDC allocated us seven parliamentary seats and the BPP managed to win four of them including dethroning the BDP in Francistown East.”
Going forward, Moswaane said the BPP won't rest on its laurels but strive to win more parliamentary and council seats in the 2029 General Election. Moswaane hailed the BPP’s revival campaign as its tool for electoral success. He added that since the BPP has a considerable number of councillors in the city, it will consult with other partners in the UDC to deliberate about who will become the city’s next mayor and his or her deputy. “The BPP is about political inclusivity. We respect our partners in the UDC. The issue of who will become the city’s first citizen will be deliberated at the right UDC forums and if we are given the mandate to lead the city, we will happily accept and embrace that offer. Our revival programme which was anchored on political education helped us to achieve this magnificent feat,” he added.
Secretary-general of the BPP, Tiroeaone Ntsima, attributed the party’s electoral success to starting political campaigns early. Ntsima, who made history by dethroning Buti Billy of the BDP in Francistown East, said the BPP worked strategically well in time to position itself for the 2024 General Election. Just like Moswaane, Ntsima said the BPP won't rest on its laurels but will continue to strategically work very hard to win more parliamentary and council seats in 2029. “Right now, we are busy in various constituencies around the country on the path of implementing what the BPP and UDC promised the nation. We should honour our promises to the nation if we want to stay longer in power,” said Ntsima.
