UDC President will not contest at constituency level
President of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Duma Boko will go into the 2024 general elections without a constituency in order to concentrate on leading the coalition to victory.
Boko, who lost his previous constituency, Bennington North to Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)’s Annah Mokgethi in the last elections by a margin of 2,438, told a media briefing this week that his focus is to campaign for the whole party without disturbance from his own constituency.
“My role this time will be to lead the UDC’s campaign and to mobilise resources. This will allow me time to campaign adequately for the UDC across the country,” he said. Some of the problems UDC are pledging to provide answers to are what Boko termed, ” Dehumanising challenges such as high crime, poor health sector and deep crisis in every facet of life.”
“These are the reasons we have determined that all our energies and resources will be applied to articulating a clear and unitive vision for Botswana. Our message captures the tone and texture of everyday life; of the lived reality of our people, and presents a programme of action that offers hope yet for our people. We have no time for frivolity, pettiness and trivia.”
As a party, Boko emphasised, UDC will not debate frivolities when there are painful realities afflicting the people. “We have steered clear of the politics of personalities and pointless gossip. We leave pettiness and trivia to those who have no vision and no substance. We speak to issues and we offer deeply considered policy propositions.”
UDC has proposed to develop a National Health Insurance Scheme that will ensure that everybody has access to quality health care, underwritten by the government and guaranteeing them decent lives and livelihoods.
“ The UDC leadership accepts, with humility, the many voices of constructive advice and guidance from all our people. They continue to engage with us and to enrich our interventions. We have said before and we reiterate: Let us all meet at the point of need. There are many who have not only heard our call, but have responded to it by decamping, some of them, from wherever they were to join us in this relentless march of hope and destiny. We welcome those who have come and extend an invitation to others still considering.”
Meanwhile, Boko has also announced that the UDC National Executive Committee at its recent meeting took a decision to have a deadline for sitting representatives who were elected in 2019 under the colours and banner of the UDC who would like to remain and contest the 2024 general elections under the UDC set for May,31st, 2023. He said that all those desirous of availing themselves of the opportunity must formally communicate with the UDC before or on the set deadline.
