The Alliance for Progressives (AP) has broken ranks with the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) coalition and instructed its candidates not to participate in a series of manifesto workshops for candidates. The first UDC manifesto workshop was scheduled for Palapye yesterday (Saturday). It is said the AP’s boycott of UDC elections preparations emanate from a number of disapprovals that had been raised and put forward before UDC central committee but were not addressed as AP had expected.
AP Secretary General (SG) Dr Phenyo Butale issued a statement to AP regional chairpersons and secretaries, the branch chairpersons and secretaries and parliamentary and council candidates informing them of the party’s decision not to participate in the UDC manifesto candidates’ workshops. Dr Butale said the party has received a number of complaints from many council candidates about recent developments regarding ward allocations. UDC partners are still at loggerheads over wards. “Taking into consideration the fact that ward allocations have not been concluded, the AP Central Committee has decided that the party’s candidates will not participate in the trainings pending the conclusion of all outstanding ward allocation issues,” Dr Butale said in letter to the AP structures.
In addition, Dr Butale said the AP candidates are therefore informed not to attend the workshop in Palapye, a development which observers say shows that UDC internal wranglings are intensifying.
Contacted further for a comment, Dr Butale confirmed the AP decision but said the memo issued was internal and not for public consumption including the media hence its leaking was very unfortunate, adding that AP has informed UDC over its decision of AP candidates not partaking in the workshop.
UDC Head of Communications, Moeti Mohwasa did not respond to enquiries sent to him.
Meanwhile, a UDC statement dated 20th June noted that over the weekend UDC will hold two-day workshop for its candidates in constituencies North of Dibete and will be followed by another in Jwaneng on the 29th and 30th June for parliamentary candidates in the South of Dibete.
BNF Radicals
Some of the paramount complaints that have been raised by AP is the continuous disregarding of UDC constituencies allocation decisions by some of Botswana National Front (BNF) members who have also since launched parallel campaigns in constituencies and wards that had been allocated to AP by UDC.
BNF member and former Molepolole South MP Dr Tlamelo Mmatli has been campaigning together with Shima Monageng of AP while at Mmopane- Metsimotlhabe BNF cadre Gilbert Watshiphi squared off against AP’s Pushie Manyaneng.
The argument by both Dr Mmatli and Watshiphi are that both Molepolole South and Mmopane- Metsimotlhabe are BNF strongholds hence AP is not deserving to contest for them.
Dr Mmatli and Watshiphi were UDC parliamentary candidates during the 2019 general elections.
Dr Butale said the issue of Molepolole South and Mmopane- Metsimotlhabe has been attended to and those who were campaigning unlawfully have been informed to stop because the constituencies have been allocated to AP.
“We are committed to the UDC project as AP hence our call for pending issues to be concluded expeditiously,” said Butale in an interview.