Following an ultimatum that ended on Monday, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) might find itself losing key members to the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Mmegi has established.

The UDC National Executive Committee (NEC) had requested any councillor and legislator who wish to contest the 2024 General Elections to write an Expression of Interest (EOI) letter by September 26.

Currently, the BCP and the UDC are at a point of no return and the former has made it clear that they cannot work with the latter in the upcoming general election. Information reaching Mmegi is that some of the councillors who had written letters to the UDC NEC include three from Bobonong, two from Selebi-Phikwe, one from Mmadinare, three from Mahalapye, two from Maun and some from other areas are expected to follow suit.

Last Saturday, the UDC president, Duma Boko told Selebi-Phikwe constituents that they had started receiving EOI letters from BCP members who had chosen to dump the Dumelang Saleshando-led party for the UDC.

An insider has also disclosed that four of the expelled BCP Members of Parliament (MPs) have also written letters to the UDC NEC. The four are the Leader of Opposition, Dithapelo Keorapetse, Dr Never Tshabang, David Tshere and Onneetse Ramogapi.

Contacted for comment, the UDC spokesperson, Moeti Mohwasa said the letters are addressed to the NEC and it will be improper to give details before the said letters reach it. “The next NEC meeting is on October 5th, 2022. We can only comment after that,” he said.

The move is meant to test the loyalty of the BCP members and whether they will be willing to defy their party for the ‘people’s project’. For her part, the BCP spokesperson, Mpho Pheko said the BCP has explained the position of the law to the elected representatives and advised its councillors and MPs to ignore the threat issued by the UDC.

She added that the truth is the UDC has no legal authority to remove them from office.

“The UDC’s threats and ultimatum are inconsequential. That said, councillors and MPs are adults of full legal capacity and are at liberty to make their own choices (this is the BCP way). Our hope is that all our elected representatives see the danger of the UDC promises to trample upon democratic practices by promising to not hold primary elections,” she highlighted.

Pheko also pointed out that in the event that some of them have written to the Umbrella to be confirmed as UDC candidates for 2024, they will wish them well.

“We are confident that an overwhelming majority of our councillors and elected MPs will not be bought with promises of free passage to candidacies of a party that has turned its back on democracy, constitutionalism and other tenets of good democratic governance,” she said.