Dramatic session of the 11th Parliament
Friday, December 19, 2014
It was a hectic sitting for Members of Parliament who started work almost straight from the campaigns. Most MPs have now acclimatised to the new conditions including the decorum in the house, rules and procedures.
The 11th Parliament is somewhat different from previous ones in its demographics. It is relatively youthful with young MPs from both sides of the aisle, the youngest being 32-years- old. It also has elders including the Mother of the House and a few others. Furthermore, while the previous one only had a woman opposition MP towards the end of its life, this Parliament started with a woman MP in the opposition. Women are still not adequately represented in the house. Research has shown that Parliament of Botswana is one of the few that changes MPs after every election.
The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...