Boko Warns Against Division: “No Party is Bigger Than the Coalition

Call for Unity and People-Powered Roots

• 💡 President Duma Boko urged the Botswana National Front (BNF) to return to its people-powered roots and grassroots democracy.
• 🎯 He emphasized that power resides with the people and called for unity within the party and the broader opposition coalition.
• ✅ Boko stated the BNF is not owned by any individual or faction but is built on sacrifice, struggle, and service to the people.

Prioritizing National Challenges

• ⚠️ The address acknowledged pressing national issues including youth unemployment, corruption, and child trafficking.
• 📈 Boko promised that a government led by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) would urgently prioritize these critical matters.
• 🗣️ He also addressed student protests, assuring that youth issues would not be ignored under his leadership.

The Strength of the Coalition

• 🤝 Boko reaffirmed strong support for the UDC, stressing that no single party is superior within the alliance.
• 🔑 He highlighted that the coalition is bigger than any one party, serving as a shared vehicle to address national failures.
• 🧩 The UDC includes the Botswana People's Party (focused on land) and the Alliance for Progressives, which rejoined after past divisions.

Embracing Diversity and Humility

• 🎶 The UDC was described as a "polyphony" or "symphony" of different voices, views, and perspectives, not a single drum.
• 🧠 Boko clarified that the BNF's constitution defines its policies as Social Democracy, a pathway rather than a rigid blueprint.
• 🙏 He stressed the importance of humility and not claiming superiority over coalition partners or having a "magic formula."

Mediating Differences with Love

• 💬 Boko acknowledged that the coalition, like an "unhappy couple," must make its union work despite inherent conflicts.
• ✨ He urged members to mediate differences with civility and respect, recognizing that views are ultimately revisable.
• ❤️ The animating emotion for engagement should be love of country and love of people, projecting collective well-being.