22 Jun 2016

Members of Ntlo Ya Dikgosi on June 21, passed a Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 of 2016 which seek to increase the current number of Specially Elected Member of Parliament from four to six.

However, the House reached the resolution after the chairperson Kgosi Puso Gaborone resolved that they vote to come up with one resolution which will be sent to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration.

Earlier on, Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele had presented the Bill for second reading before the House, which was equally divided on the move to increase the current number of Specially Elected members as some said they could see some ulterior motive by the ruling government while some said it is a positive development. 

Briefing Dikgosi, Mr Makgalemele said the number of Specially Elected MPs has remained at four for the past 49 years. He noted that however, over the years the constitution has been amended to increase the number of elected members of the National Assembly and the ratio that started at one specially elected member to seven elected members has over the years become 1:14.

He further noted that the history of amendments to the Constitution increasing the number of elected members of the National Assembly is as follow; in 1972 elected MPs were increased from 31 to 32, in 1983 elected MPs were increased from 32 to 34, in 1992 elected MPs were increased from 32 to 40 and in 2002 elected MPs were increased from 40 to 57.

He however told the House that this change is necessitated by the fact that economy of Botswana continues to grow in size and complexity and therefore the increase in the number of specially elected members will provide a window of opportunity for Parliament, and by extension Cabinet, to increase the number of members with necessary expertise and skills to manage a modern and complex economy. ENDS