26 Jul 2020

The   topical Constitution (Amendment) Bill,  dubbed floor crossing, is expected to take center stage during the third meeting of the first session of the 12th Parliament scheduled to commence today. 

The bill,  to be tabled by Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Kabo Morwaeng, is intended to cause a vacancy in the seat of an elected  MP who resigns from the political party on whose ticket he/she was elected to Parliament.  

Similarly, the proposed amendment seeks to cause a vacancy in the seat of an elected member who having been elected to the National Assembly as an independent candidate, becomes a member of a political party.

The effect of the proviso is to ensure that the coming into effect of the amendment does not immediately create a vacancy in the seat of those members who would have already changed political allegiance. 

“Upon the coming into effect of this amendment, such members shall be deemed to have been elected to the National Assembly in their current political status,” states the proposed amendment bill.

Another proposal to be tabled is the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Eric Molale.

The bill seeks to cause a vacancy in the seat of an elected member of a council where he/she resigns from a political party which he/she was a member of at the time of his/her election.  

Likewise, the proposed amendment seeks to cause a vacancy in the seat of an elected member, who, having been elected to the council as an independent  candidate, joins a political party. 

Also on the agenda is the Citizen Economic Empowerment Bill to be tabled by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Ms Peggy Serame.

Its objective is to promote meaningful citizen participation in the economy or economic inclusion.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, seeking to amend the legislation to among others, align the age of majority set out in the Interpretation Act which reduced the it from 21 to 18 years, will also be tabled.

It will be tabled by Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Ms Annah Mokgethi.

The age of majority is a threshold of adulthood and a person who has attained the age of majority assumes full legal capacity and can, without assistance of his or her guardian, enter into a legally binding contract, sue or be sued in his or her own name.

Section 9 of the Citizenship Act makes provision for registration of persons under the age of 21 as citizens where the father or mother of such a person has become a citizen of Botswana, while Section 15 makes provision for dual citizenship up to the age of 21. 

It is therefore proposed that Sections 9 and 15 of the Citizenship Act be amended so that the provisions are consistent with the age of majority which has been reduced from 21 to 18 years.

Meanwhile a press release from the National Assembly says Parliament will convene at Boipuso Hall to comply with COVID-19 regulations.

It is estimated that the meeting will five weeks ending on August 28, says the release. Ends