22 Jul 2013

Parliament has adopted a motion that called for live broadcast of Parliament proceedings.

Members of Parliament argued that live broadcasts were important to give citizens and voters an insight into Parliament’s work and the adoption of laws, as well as MPs debates, since lack of transparency could be an impediment to good governance.

MPs unanimously shared sentiments last week in their debates on the motion that called on government to allow Botswana television to broadcast to the nation live debates of Parliament presented by the MP for Selebi Phikwe West,  Mr Gilson Saleshando.

“It is important that people know and understand the work MPs do in parliament because many people believe we are just here to eat and grow big tummies,” Kanye North legislator, Mr Kentse Rammidi said.

Mr Rammidi said due to the fact that parliamentary business was essentially closed to the public, that denied citizens the right to see, hear and assess what their elected representatives were doing.

He argued that unlike the 30-minute Radio Botswana broadcasts that were paraphrased by reporters, live broadcasts could significantly increase the accountability of Parliament to Batswana as well as boost public understanding of Parliament.

Shoshong MP, Mr Phillip Makgalemele also said live Parliament broadcasts would help take Parliament to the people as well as educate them in the process.

He also said that in the era where every person has the right to information, Parliament is a place where people could amass knowledge on different government policies and programmes.

“Maybe it is high time we have the national communication and information policy, so that people get the chance to know more on government,” he said.

Another legislator, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso of Mahalapye East concurred with her fellow MPs saying that live broadcast of Parliament would help ensure that MPs attended plenaries and to prepare better than they would have before.

Ms Tshireletso said opening Parliament to the public will recast the manner in which Parliament does its work.

“The public will be participants in national debate by accessing, real time, the deliberations of Parliament and its committees on important national issues, as well as its duty to put the government in check,” she said.

MP for Kgatleng West, Mr Gilbert Mangole also said voters would be able to monitor, follow and judge whether the candidates they sent to Parliament were indeed representing their interests, which in turn would curb voter apathy.

“We have a problem of voter apathy in this country, therefore were we to broadcast parliament live I believe that will encourage people to vote and voter apathy will be a thing of the past and we will in the process fulfil one of the MDGs,” he said.

Mr Mangole also said edited parliamentary clips, negated transparency of Parliament because they mostly edited and used to report a certain news angle, which as objective as they may be, posed the risk of bias news reporting. ENDS