- 61 Parliamentary candidates target P915 000, contribute P15 000 each
- 2024 campaign budget double that of 2019 elections
BAKANG TIRO
The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) parliamentary candidates will raise close to P1 million through contributions of P15 000 each towards a campaign fund for the 2024 elections, The Patriot on Sunday has learnt.
Information turned up by this publication is that the BDP is seeking to mount a massive campaign that will need vast resources to cover the length and breath of the country to consolidate its stay in power. Sources said the party leadership was disappointed by the performance in the council by-elections and Serowe West constituency parliamentary by-election attributed to lack of financial resources.
Out of the 14 council by elections that were held from 2021 to June 2023, BDP managed to win only four (4) seats and further suffered humiliation losing Serowe West parliamentary by-election to its offshoot- Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). BDP candidate Moemedi Dijeng lost to BPF’s Onalepelo Kedikilwe.
The Patriot on Sunday has established that during the BDP National Congress in Palapye in September, BDP Treasurer Sata Dada pleaded with members to start raising funds for 2024 elections as coffers are drying up.
At the time, Dada told democrats that the BDP main sponsors, especially high-profile businessmen have been dragging their feet to sponsor party activities such as bye-elections owing to a string of defeats the BDP suffered against the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). Dada lamented lack of commitment from the MPs, councillors and members to pay their subscriptions on time with some having not paid subscriptions as far as after the 2019 elections.
According to the BDP’s Treasury projections BDP will need a large budget for the 2024 elections campaign with the budget considerations based on increase of constituencies from 57 to 61.
Last year Parliament adopted a motion by Gaborone North MP, Mpho Balopi to increase constituencies from 57 to 61, and that also led to Delimitation Commission increasing wards in some of constituencies. “Council candidates are also expected to contribute to the fund. Financiers have been reluctant to avail funds for the by-elections and that contributed to poor performance of the party. Also, what concerns them is that most of the 2019 electoral promises have not been delivered hence voters shun BDP,” said a source close to developments. BDP is known of being funded by prominent local and foreign businesses.
Contacted for a comment on Friday, BDP Secretary General Kavis Kario briefly said there is no strategy that is being devised by the BDP to have its contestants contribute funds to the planned campaign fund.
Traditionally, the party relies on the financial support from the well-wishers and candidates would also their own capacity raise their own campaign funds at their different constituencies and wards level.
Asked about if it is a good move for BDP candidates to raise fund to the party national campaign plan, one BDP MP said: “It is clear that the elections campaign is very expensive and it requires one to even have strong financial pool before the party come to aid. Normally, we start campaigns at the Bulela Ditswe level and that alone require funding to canvass for votes. We will see what happens next.”
State funding
Meanwhile, political analyst Kitso Morekisi said elections reforms such political party funding by the government should be introduced, adding that the elections are expensive due to number of factors.
“Modern voters are no longer interested on petty campaigns that include being fed with food and drinks as it has been the case in the past. Candidates of today are expected to brand themselves in a way that their ideas are aligned to the needs of their potential electorates. In this regard, money is key,” he said.
In addition, Morekisi observed that the BDP would not any time soon allow for political party funding because it could be aware that it will give the opposition strength to match it campaign pound to pound.
“Ruling political parties in Africa always get the benefits of utilizing state resources at their disposal to counter the opposition during campaigns. Such resources include the use of state media outlets and it happens here locally where BDP get majority coverage in Botswana Television for instance,” he said.