KHAMA VS OPPOSITION - ROUND 2 - KHAMA SERVES PARLIAMENT WITH PAPERS TO SUE - MP SWEARING IN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE The war between President Ian Khama and the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change and Botswana Congress Party, over the control of the voting process within Parliament reached a new height this afternoon. The President served the parties, and The Speaker Margaret Nasha with a notice to sue Parliament seeking to turn the voting process from a secret ballot to a raise-of-the-hands process. The President is challenging the Standing Orders - the rules governing Parliamentary business - which were amended a few years ago, to introduce secret ballot to the voting of the Vice President nominee. Khama, insiders say, fears revolt within his own party and thus prefers to have the individual MPs declare their support or lack of, of his candidate, in a method which reveals each MPs preference. This, MPs fear, is a way to intimidate BDP MPs into supporting his candidate out of fear of victimisation by the Executive. As a result of the pending case, which is an urgent application at the High Court, Parliament which was set to swear in its new Members tomorrow, will halt its business until the matter has been settled at the courts. The Speaker of the National Assembly has announced the postponement of the swearing in of all the elected members of Parliament as this cannot take place until the State President has issued a Proclamation allowing Parliament to convene. The Speaker explained that President Khama has 30 days within which to issue the proclamation.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 04:37:35 +0000
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