Botswana Congress Party (BCP)

The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is a social democratic political Party in Botswana. Founded in 1998 as a result of a split from the Botswana National Front, the Party attracted most of the BNF’s sitting MPs due to a leadership dispute involving the BNF’s leader, Kenneth Koma.

The BCP was formed by 11 sitting MPs and immediately became the official opposition Party in Parliament. Party President Michael Dingake served as Leader of the Opposition until parliament was dissolved in advance of the 1999 general elections. In the 1999 General Elections, the BCP won 11.9% of the vote and retained only one seat out of 40. In the Botswana general election, 2004 elections, 30 October 2004, the Party won 16.6% of the popular vote and one out of 57 seats. The sole BCP member of parliament was Dumelang Saleshando, the son of then BCP President, Gilson Saleshando.