The opposition Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) central committee is considering to approach the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) to be readmitted into the coalition as a direct member after pulling out in April, led by its president Mephato Reatile. It is said the proposal for BPF to rejoin UDC is being orchestrated by former president and BPF Patron Ian Khama, a development which is said the central committee is likely to endorse given Khama’s influence.
In a surprising turn of events, President Duma Boko took a decision to appoint two BPF Members of Parliament (MPs) into his cabinet being Lawrence Ookeditse as assistant Minister of Health and Baratiwa Mathoothe as assistant minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship respectively.
Ookeditse is MP for Nata-Gweta and incumbent Secretary General of BPF while Mathoothe is MP for Serowe North having been elected for the second term after his made his Parliament debut in 2019.
Observers indicate that the appointment of BPF duo in Boko’s between the UDC and BPF emphasized by UDC decision to yield all Serowe constituencies to the BPF. cabinet signaled a potential reunion
In an interview on Friday, BPF Chairman Carter Morupisi said the party has instructed its MPs and councilors to cooperate with the UDC in addressing issues of national importance and that doesn’t necessarily mean BPF it doesn’t show that BPF will UDC but just giving support to UDC as ruling party.
Morupisi said the strategic relationship between UDC and BPF is necessitated by the fact that the country moved into new government led by UDC and some Batswana are unsettled by that change. “Our view as a party is that we need to cooperate, give UDC an opportunity to govern as it is given mandate by Batswana. Having two of members being cabinet demonstrate that president recognize their potential and ability to serve as UDC implement the manifesto pledges to transform the country,” he said.
Morupisi said BPF deem itself as an opposition party and will strategically continue support UDC when it comes up with something good for the nation and will loudly criticize anything bad as proposed by UDC.
UDC
Meanwhile, it is said the individual UDC contracting partners being the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP), Botswana National Front (BNF) and Alliance for Progressives (AP) are discussing how best BPF can work with UDC.
The UDC executive committee is said to have given the individual party members to discuss and draw conclusion on how the coalition can embrace UDC which has just formed government after its historic 2024 election victory.
Last weekend, the BNF convened its post-election leadership consultative forum and discussed BPF prospects in the new government while BPP was also expected to hold its leadership forum yesterday (Saturday) in Francistown.
The AP on the other hand is yet to announce dates for its leadership forum but it is expected to be before end of the year.
Boko recently while justifying inclusion of BPF into government (cabinet) said the move indicate that the UDC government is inclusive and possibly has same ideology with the BPF despite it being in opposition.
Advocate Boko rubbished claims that his decision to appoint BPF MPs in cabinet was influenced by Khama.
On Tuesday after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) by Boko, Khama also said he doesn’t have any influence on the affairs of UDC government but said he is backing the government just like any other citizen who longed for change from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) administration of 58 years.