23 Sep 2019

Residents of Mochudi West constituency have been urged to vote Mr Gilbert Mangole as a Member of Parliament as he is the most credible candidate.

Launching Mr Mangole and council prspective candidates in Mochudi on Saturday, BMD President Advocate Sydney Pilane said the constituents had always shown their trust on Mr Mangole, hence they voted him when he contested under different political parties.

Mr Mangole won the MP seat under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). A year later was a founding member of the BMD.

In 2014 elections, he was elected under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and Advocate Pilane said this was a testament that Mr Mangole was elected due to his capabilities and not because he belonged to any particular political party.

The BMD leader described his party prospective candidate as a hardworking man who had the interest of the nation at heart.

He said Mr Mangole left the ruling BDP to stand for the truth, leaving an organisation rich with resources because he could not stand the then leadership.

Meanwhile, Advocate Pilane said his party would not have a presidential candidate because they were contesting only for 11 constituencies out of 57.

He explained that for a party to win elections, it should have at least 29 constituencies.

Advocate Pilane, who is contesting for Gaborone North, further said the idea was to work with other opposition parties under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), but unfortunately they had been expelled.

He said when they took the UDC to court the idea was to give Batswana an opportunity to understand and fully appreciate their expulsion.

Meanwhile, Mr Nehemiah Modubule also urged residents to elect Mr Mangole as an MP, saying he had a good record and added value to the just-ended 11^th parliament.

He said there was no doubt that Mr Mangole was the right candidate as he had been acknowledged by other political parties.

Mr Modubule further described him as a principled man who stood his ground at a time when some members were against the idea of Advocate Pilane joining the BMD, although the party split with some members forming the Alliance for Progressive.

For his part, the candidate, who is also the BMD’s secretary general, said his organisation would not make empty promises just to win elections and therefore had set attainable goals.

He said there was no party that empowered the youths and women more than the BMD.

Mr Mangole said in the run up to the 2014 general elections, they stood against corruption.

Mr Mangole urged Mochudi West residents to protect the royal house by not electing Mr Kgafela.

The elections are to be held on 23 October. Ends