‘The position of the UDC is that it will always comment on what builds but not what will compromise our brand or betray trust in the people’s project.”
Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) will not respond to disparaging remarks that were made by the President of Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Dumelang Saleshando at the BCP Leadership Forum in Palapye on Saturday.
UDC Head of Communications, Moeti Mohwasa said that since the BCP said is going to raise some queries for discussion at the UDC National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, it will be proper and prudent to wait until the matters are properly tabled.
“The fact that they say they will raise certain issues at the NEC negates any assertion that the UDC is a one man show. The position of the UDC is that it will always comment on what builds but not what will compromise our brand or betray trust in the people’s project.”
However, concerning the BCP’s insistence that it is going to negotiate at the Opposition Cooperation Forum as an autonomous entity and not under the UDC has not been received well by the umbrella body. Mohwasa said that the UDC is engaged in negotiations with Alliance for Progressives (AP) and Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and not any other party.
“What constitutes the UDC is the sum of BCP, Botswana National Front and Botswana Peoples Party. So if any of the parties wants to negotiate on its own then it is obvious that the party firstly has to detach itself from the alliance. Secondly, it has to apply to be part of the negotiations forum before it can be accepted as a party to the Talks. This is basic and easy to understand,” said Mohwasa
On Saturday, Saleshando fired salvos at the UDC President, Duma Boko accusing him of running the party alone without other members of the NEC.
“Our UDC NEC has 12 members but all the decisions are taken by one person, Boko so the BCP Central Committee took a decision to represent itself in the Opposition Cooperation Forum not under UDC,” Saleshando said.
The BCP president went further to blame the UDC President for withholding the elections petition report.
“Even now we haven’t been given the alleged report of rigging of elections, only one person has that report,” said the BCP President.
The UDC NEC is scheduled to meet this Saturday in Palapye following a postponement of the meeting, which was initially set for April 18th.
