While the Constitution gives the President full powers to nominate the Vice President alone, the balance is that in a well functioning democracy parliament, which does not have the luxury to nominate the Vice President, can exercise its unfettered power of voting to refuse to approve the nominee by way of voting for or against. In a well functioning democracy where MPs do not suck up to the President, they can then exercise their status to fight a genuine battle in the interest of the country, instead of the wishes of one man whom they look up to for cabinet posts and other favours. Talk of politics of the stomach.
With reports already circulating and intimating that the current President has approached at least two or three cabinet ministers requesting them to be interim Vice President until 2016, when they would then hand the baton to the President’s brother, Tshekedi Khama, we sincerely expect a parliament made up of honourable members who would discourage and fight against what appears to be a tendency to turn Botswana Presidency into a fiefdom, of sorts. Honourable MPs, in a well functioning democracy, while they do not have the power to nominate a Vice President, can still speak loudly with their vote and send a strong and serious message to their head of state. Such an act of defiance would not be considered a rebellion in a well functioning democracy; it is called the will of the people, the voice of God. In fact, the time is now for our MPs to stand firm and boldly and show that they exist for Batswana’s interest
