10 Dec 2020

Maun East legislator, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile has complained about what he termed as ‘the piecemeal approach’ to the amendment of the Constitution, saying it was undemocratic and undermined the bill of rights.

Deliberating on the Constitution (amendment) Bill, 2020 (Bill No.14 of 2020) which among other things, proposes to cause a vacancy in case an elected Member of Parliament opts to switch political alliance, Mr Kekgonegile described this as a violation of politician’s right to freedom of association.

He said the proposed amendments were not in the interest of Batswana, but only aimed at stabilising the ruling party’s infights and strengthen party discipline.

Mr Kekgonegile indicated that it was important for proper consultation to be carried out prior to the proposed amendments, highlighting that a constitutional review commission should be established to seek public opinion on the proposed amendments.

The government, he said, should rather concentrate on constitutional reforms that advocated for more powers and independence of Parliament and oversight bodies to ensure effective checks and balances.

Ghanzi South legislator, Mr Motsamai Motsamai also challenged the piecemeal approach to amending the Constitution and raised a concern over the reluctance to fully review the Constitution as promised before the general elections.

Even though he agreed with some aspects of the amendment, he said he was not happy with the lack of consultation, saying failure to consult people may undermine the legitimacy of the amendment drive.

He said there was no denying that fears of defections within the ruling party played a role in the urgency to pursue the proposed amendments.

Mr Motsamai argued that candidates were elected under their name, because of the first past the post electoral system.

Contributing to the debate, Nata/Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga said Constitution amendment reforms were welcomed as they provided an opportunity to refine and modernize the country’s independence Constitution.

He said legislators needed to surrender their seat when migrating to a new political party as the essence of party affiliation to voters could not be overlooked. ENDS