Supporters of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), another opposition party that won the second-most votes in 2019, came out north of the capital Gaborone.
Wearing blue and white T-shirts and hats, they cheered for leader Duma Boko.
Unlike Masisi, Boko generally maintained a serious tone to emphasize how much people were suffering under the BDP.
He claimed there was an attempt to rig the polls.
“I urge all of you to be vigilant and protect your vote by remaining at the polls even after voting for BDP,” he said.
Thapelo Dimpe, 45, a former teacher, has no doubts about why he wants to see the president and his group. defeat.
“Masisi has failed us on education reform. UDC plans to invest in our schools and empower our youth to get the education they deserve,” he said.
The government has many problems that could erode support, but a divided opposition could allow the BDP to remain in power.
All members are elected on a rotating basis. This means that BDP only needs to get the most votes in over 50% of constituencies to win seats.
In seats where the UDC, BCP, BPF or several other parties are running, this could mean that the opposition votes will be split, allowing the BDP to enter.
Political analyst Lesole Machacha told the BBC: “These parties seem to have factionalism within themselves. They keep reporting their internal problems to the media. They are not really united.”
But he also pointed out that the BDP also had problems.
“The ruling party is not 100% intact and there are problems. “In some constituencies, BDP politicians who are dissatisfied with the primary election process may run as independent candidates, which could divide the voting bloc,” Mr Machacha said.
All this makes for a highly competitive and unpredictable election, he added.
For one of Africa’s most successful political parties, the question now is whether enough people are confident it can oversee the change the country needs.
