BNF BAM BPP 2004 Manifesto Botswana

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MANIFESTO 2004 (from the Original document)

Botswana           Botswana               Botswana
National             Alliance                 Peoples
Front                  Movement             Party

Together We Shall Deliver

ELECTION MESSAGE

Dumelang Bagaetsho!!

The 2004 general elections come against the backdrop of the ever increasing poverty, an ever increasing unemployment, and the growing inequalities between the rich and the poor, corruption and the rising crime race.
The national elections Batswana with another opportunity to elect a government of their choice. Botswana’s democracy gives you an opportunity to cast a vote of your choice as an individual, and the majority wins. Bagaetsho Mathata a Botswana ke marakana-mantsi, a tlhoka Motswana nongwe le mongwe. We believe that Botswana’s problems are many and needs all of us. Motswana a re kgetsi ya tsie e kgonwa ke go tshwaraganelwa. Our experiences of split votes in different constituencies such as Kgatleng, Ngwaketse, and Francistown, has only helped the BDP.  BAM, BNF and BPP are now working together. We believe our pool of votes can change the BDP government. We have not gone into the PACT to experiment.  We have a firm believe that a Pact is the only way forward. ALL PACT members are in agreement that the BDP policies have over the years created a glaring social and economic inequalities.  To demonstrate the BDP misrule, here is a simple illustration. Statistics show that: The richest 20% of the population owns 60% of the national wealth. The middle 40% of the population owns about 30%. The poorest 40% own only 10% of the national wealth.  Whilst the BDP can bask in the mythical glory of Botswana’s strong economy and democracy that they have created, this manifesto gives you, the voter, some hard facts about our country that the BDP has been hiding from you, for example, the state of affairs about national unity, political representation, good governance, labour relations, political party funding, poverty and unemployment, law and order, education and housing, to name just a few. We also give you, the voter, an alternative. Although the BDP will say our alternative is unrealistic because it is expensive, and will chant their usual refrain “Gago gona madi”, we say there is nothing for free. We even have to pay for the air we breath. Botswana democracy and economy are supposed to be in the league of the best in the world, but you and me know that is not true, because we experience it.  This scenario is not acceptable and must be changed.  Use your vote to change government.

1. NATIONAL UNITY

Botswana is a country that is plagued by the ever-deepening class and ethnic tensions. These tensions, inhere from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party policies that have resulted in increasing poverty, unemployment and social inequality. The number of households living under conditions of poverty, for example, is close to 50 percent, unemployment is about 25 percent, and corruption and economic crime is on the increase. In addition, in most urban areas, there is an acute shortage of housing and urban transport is in shambles. These growing inequalities have resulted in an upsurge in crime because of deprivations and envy.  The Botswana Democratic Party continues to denigrate the cultures and Languages of various Botswana communities, thus creating an atmosphere of ethnic chauvinism. In order to prove its credentials as standard-bearer of the so-called Western civilization the BDP has, at national level denigrated the Setswana language and culture and replaced it with English language and culture. At the political level, the current electoral system of First-Past-The-Post has created a feeling of exclusion by those who vote for the opposition. The BDP government has on some occasions cut the subventions to the Local Authorities controlled by the opposition parties as punishment for voting for the “wrong” parties. The sum total of all these factors mentioned here makes it well nigh impossible to create national unity and cohesion. The Pact Government will have as its major goal, service to the nation, social justice and the building of a united nation free from poverty, disease, ignorance, deprivation and political powerlessness. The resources of the nation should be used to eradicate the social evils of poverty, unemployment and social inequality as a precondition for a truly proud, happy and democratic nation. The BDP believes such social evils to be natural phenomena, but we maintain these evils are the results of an iniquitous social system driven by individualism and greed.