Botswana Congress Party (BCP) vice-president and parliamentary candidate for Tswapong South, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang, has said that through perseverance he will wrestle the constituency from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

But if he fails, he will concentrate on his core business of serving the University of Botswana where he is a lecturer. He said his party has failed to win the constituency because it has been a BDP stronghold since independence and this cannot change overnight. He asserted that the old generation forms a significant population of the constituency and their loyalty to the BDP cannot change instantly. He said he has managed to penetrate the constituency because his campaigns are based on issues like making Letloreng settlement a village and calling for the Habitat for Humanity loans to be written off.

Gobotswang said they launched a massive membership drive that allowed the constituency to be moved from category two to category one ranking in the BCP. "We took advantage of the mistakes committed by the ruling party and its broken promises.

As long as the social ills that motivate me to want to represent Tswapong South still prevail, I will continue to offer my services to the people. I am prepared for anyone who will be the BDP candidate and we have already started preparations for the 2014 general elections," he said. He stated that the BCP will have an election post-mortem retreat in Palapye on November 21. The party is reviewing its constitution, with a view to modernise it. It continues to refine its policy documents.

"As part of ensuring that our elected representatives are effective, we are planning to establish supporting structures and have each of our MPs becoming a spokesperson of two or three sectors," he explained.

In July 2010 the party will elect a new leadership to lead it to the next general election in 2014. Gobotswang said the BCP will try to strengthen its cooperation with Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) and engage the main opposition, the Botswana National Front (BNF) if possible. He said that the BCP and its partner BAM continue to be the fastest growing parties in the country. He indicated that once elected into power he will focus on job creation, old age pension, land shortage, revival of agriculture and youth access government assistance schemes.

"I will continue to address the plight of Habitat for Humanity home owners and I will speak against the erosion of democracy and civil liberties in Botswana," he emphasised.

In the 2004 elections BCP failed to win a single ward in Tswapong South. In this year's elections, it won two wards - Moshopha and Sefhare. Gobotswang said the recent unexpected visit at the BCP rally by President Ian Khama was an indirect endorsement and their performance in the general elections can attest to this because they almost captured the constituency. "It is how we managed the surprise visitor that worked for us. We received him as a state president not a BDP leader and he in turn conducted himself as such. He helped draw a huge attendance as well as Btv coverage," Gobotswang said.