Was Parliament�s amendment of the Standing Orders Constitutional? (Part I)

Morima
Morima

The 10th Parliament’s amendment, made as recently as August 2014, of Parliamentary Standing Orders resulting in provisions that the elections for the Vice President, and the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly shall be by secret ballot has thrown Botswana into a constitutional crisis.

This, after government waged a legal challenge on the amendment’s constitutionality, a process which not only delayed the swearing in of Members of Parliament (MPs), but also halted the election of the Vice President, and the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

I need to hasten to state that though one may not agree with government’s action, one has to admire the fact that, as confirmation for its respect for the rule of law, government is using the courts, and not a presidential decree, to pray for the amendment’s rescission.

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

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