Not for the first time, the party's Executive Secretary Batlang Serema
said the BDP was worried by a growing number of constituencies that
have become marginal.
Our intention is not just to win but to win big, Serema said on Tuesday.
Serema was echoing President Ian Khama's sentiments who has never made
it a secret his intention to significantly increase the BDP's popular
vote which has been on the decline for a number of years now.
The 2009 General Elections will be the first the party contests under
Ian Khama who was brought into politics with the explicit intention of
not only neutralizing factions but also to increase the party's popular
appeal.
An increase of BDP's popular vote would be a renewed vote of confidence
on Khama, especially since there is a growing number of BDP members who
have begun to doubt his true worth.
Buoyed by BDP's declining fortunes, the opposition has also been quick
to intensify their call for elections reform especially the direct
election of the President.
The Botswana Congress Party in particular has been very vehement that
the current winner takes it all electoral system does not only
compromise democracy but also fails short in reflecting the wishes of
the voters.
BCP says it is weird that while the BDP captured less than 52% of the
national vote, the ruling party occupies over 75% of the seats in
parliament.
Serema said faced with such changing political dynamics, the BDP's
priority was to win big in its traditional heartlands as well as in
those constituencies it captures from opposition so that they could
increase their popular vote.
For a number of years now, BDP's share of the popular vote has been
declining, reaching below 52% in the last 2004 General Elections.
In a drastic show of desperation, Serema said as the Chief Campaigner
Khama's photographs will be displaced along side that of candidates
across the entire country.
This will be over and above the President being used to launch almost all the BDP candidates across the country.
There is a strong thinking that we need not only to win more
opposition constituencies but also to retain our marginal seats. Our
primary goal is to increase our share of the popular vote. Where we
usually win we should win big, said Serema.
In that line the BDP will launch their manifesto on March 29, by which time their nation-wide campaign will start in earnest.
The manifesto team is led by party Secretary General Jacob Nkate.
He is assisted by Vincent Seretse, former Chief Executive of the state owned Botswana Telecommunications Corporation.
The two have been asked to go ahead and create what the party calls the National Election Strategy Team (NEST).
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