BDP warns UDC, BCP 

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has confirmed that its manifesto and unveiling of 61 Parliamentary candidates will be jointly held on the 1st of September 2024, warning Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) that they should brace for a fierce campaign from BDP. The BDP central committee had been under pressure to announce the dates for manifesto launch and a plan over how candidates will be launched given that limited time is remaining before elections. 

BDP spokesperson Kagelelo Kentse said the BDP will be unstoppable as it is charged for the campaign to reach every corner of the country to ask for votes. 

“It is going to be a full house. Democrats are thirsty for a campaign and Batswana can’t wait to hear what the BDP has to offer. BCP launched their lackluster manifesto and people have forgotten what they said, it was not inspiring,” said Kentse. 

He also said UDC manifesto did not leave to expectation because by the time it was launched, it was overshadowed as the nation focused on celebrating the gold victory in 200 metres final race by Letsile Tebogo at the recently concluded Olympics in Paris, France. 

He said the opposition has shown that it is not ready for government because in 2014 BCP was not in UDC but joined in 2019 and in 2024 they separated again. 

Choice 

Political analyst, Kitso Morekisi said it would be good for BDP to launch its manifesto and that would make the political scene interesting as voters will be spoiled to choice by BDP, UDC and BCP. “UDC manifesto launch brought a new perspective to augment what BCP manifesto had been preaching. The BDP manifesto will be a balancing act and it will spark interesting debates in addition to what UDC and BCP have started so far. Its manifesto will be heavily subjected to judgment and reviewed compared to 2019 one to see if targets were achieved,” he said 
He said BDP has been doing things differently during this election cycle such as holding primary elections few months before elections and that would be seen if it would work to the party’s advantage if it was a strategy by the party. 

Candidates 

Meanwhile, Kentse said 61 of BDP Parliamentary candidates will be unveiled at the manifesto by BDP president Mokgweetsi Masisi. He said the BDP 
manifesto in this year elections will be pragmatic, achievable, measurable and simplified, adding that BDP had great strides in the promises it made in 2019 and want to do better going forward. Commenting on how the mood is in BDP camp after Bulela Ditswe, Kentse said elections by nature can dumpen the mood but once the party is done with its internal processes, launching manifesto and the candidates, many will see that BDP is a united force with one common force. 

Kentse said BDP will soon deliver verdict on the Bulela Ditswe appeals lodged by some candidates such as Minister of Finance Peggy Serame who wants a rerun in Good Hope- Mmathethe against his cabinet colleague Dr Edwin Dikoloti. 

“We will fire from all cylinders. The BDP is like a sea, it cleanses itself. We are going to campaign hard and win with a landslide,” Kentse buttressed