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News and Information
Mogae pleads with Bangwaketse to vote BDP
| October 28, 2004 |
28 October, 2004
JWANENG As the elections curtain nears closure, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leadership took their campaign trail to the southern part of the country over the weekend.
The BDP president, Festus Mogae, addressed a political rally in Kanye while party chairman Seretse Khama Ian Khama addressed the other rally in Mmathethe.
Mogae literally knelt down at Goo-Montshiwa grounds to plead with Bangwaketse to vote for BDP.
"I came to plead with you to vote Kentse Rammidi (parliamentary candidate for Kanye North) and Leach Tlhomelang (Kanye South)," he said. Mogae said both candidates were capable leaders and that they had the needs of the electorate at heart.
He requested Bangwaketse to stop voting for the Botswana National Front (BNF) as it had never contributed to development plans except to criticise.
"You should not vote for people who would rejoice over your country's problems," he said. Mogae said it was unfortunate that some BNF former MPs used government programmes like the defunct Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) and Citizen Entrepreneurial Agency (CEDA), but still went public to criticise the programmes saying they would not benefit Batswana.
He also urged opposition parties to emulate BDP by raising funds instead of seeking to know its source of funds.
Mogae said BDP raised money through members' donations, dinners and that they had some buildings, which they rented out.
He also said some opposition parties received financial assistance in the past but BDP never complained. He said the problem with such parties was that they would always fight over property and funds.
Mogae said it was lawful for him to use the official transport in his political campaigns.
He said presidents and prime ministers in other countries used official transport in their political campaigns and therefore Botswana was no exception.
Mogae told his audience that BDP had nothing to hide and as such it welcomed the international election observers. The SADC election observer team attended the rally.
For their part, Rammidi and Tlhomelang appealed to the electorate to vote for them because they would work hard to advocate for the two constituencies' developments.
"Our constituencies are behind in developments and we are going to ensure that they are adequately developed," Rammidi said.
Tlhomelang asked the electorate to recall what BDP has done for the country and then vote for it to continue its mission as well as to maintain the country's stable economy and democracy.
He criticised the BNF for engaging in falsehoods during the election campaign and urged its activisits to woo voters without misleading people. |
Source: Dailynews@gov.bw |
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