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Botswana: Political Dust Settles in Palapye
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
20 March 2008
Posted to the web 24 March 2008
Ryder Gabathuse
Francistown
After one of the hardest fought parliamentary by-elections ended last Saturday, peace and serenity has finally returned to Palapye.
"I have instructed my supporters in Palapye to start cleaning the streets as the purpose of the posters and the placards is now over.
At least we will have a rest from political rallies politics until the party opens the season for Bulela Ditswe again," says the BDP's Moiseraele Goya who emerged victorious. He was sworn in as an MP on Monday, together with Victor Motobaki of Kgalagadi North. He said some of his supporters hired two combis and followed him to ensure that he was finally accepted in Parliament. "Well, over 200 of my supporters witnessed the swearing in ceremony before they returned to Palapye," said Goya.
BCP is also doing the same thing and after cleaning the town they will on March 29 hold a post-mortem of the by-election to help them assess their needs as they forge ahead.
The BCP candidate, James Olesitse said yesterday that they are likely to rest for a few weeks because next month Palapye is among the areas that go into the primaries for the 2009 general election in the BCP. If it were not for the by-election, the primaries would long have been held.
Olesitse added that "the poor showing of the opposition parties in the weekend by-elections across the country might be a reflection that now is the time for the opposition parties to think seriously about working together". He challenged the leaders of the parties to consider the issue seriously.
The BNF, which got 135 votes, will also do a post mortem. "I am just about to complete my report to the party leadership which is meant for them only.
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I think it was not bad for us more so that we started the campaign very late," said the BNF candidate, Sentso Malatsi.
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