20 May 2018

Mr Karabo Gare on Saturday won the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primary elections for the Moshupa/Manyana constituency.

Mr Gare amassed 2 841 votes against Mr Lentswe Mosanako’s 767, Mr Stephen Kganela with 514 and Mr Boikhutso Disele and Mr Benjamin Mogodi, who got 189 and 50 respectively, to become the BDP Parliamentary hopeful for the area.

The vacancy arose when former Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi became President on April 1.

Speaking to BOPA after voting at Mosielele Primary School earlier during the day, President Masisi said his party gave the five candidates an opportunity to slug it out through the ballot with a view to find someone who would take up where he had left off as area MP.

Mr Masisi explained that the gesture was in keeping with the principles of democracy, which the party and the nation were known for.

Mr Masisi however advised the candidates to appreciate that since there was only one vacancy, only one of them could win.

He has therefore implored the eventual losers to throw their weight behind the winner to enable him to sail through to

Parliament during the bye elections scheduled for June 16.

President Masisi also met and greeted children and party supporters soon after casting his vote.

He encouraged Mosielele pupils to work hard at their studies if they wanted to secure themselves a bright future.

For his part, Mr Gare described the elections as a good demonstration of the democracy that existed within the party.

The youthful winner also thanked democrats for entrusting him with their votes and offered to continue working with those who lost to advance the cause of the party within the constituency and beyond.  

Mr Gare advised democrats to treat the next bye elections like a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the 2019 general elections; thus warned them not to be complacent.

Mr Disele and Mr Kganela immediately embraced Mr Gare and promised him their support.

Mr Kganela however complained that some party members could not vote because of some delays in the issuance of their membership cards.

Returning officer, Mr Kavis Kario commended the candidates for participating in the democratic process. He said their participation in no small measure enhanced the party’s internal democracy.

Mr Kario also encouraged democrats not to sit on their laurels, describing the elections as phase one of the real thing.

“This process naturally drains energy, but don’t expend all your energy on this stage, reserve some for the real thing. Let’s combine our energies and efforts to retain this constituency,” he said. ENDS