Parley not for the short-tempered

Mmegi Editor | Wednesday July 8, 2015 15:37

Evidently, there were very few questions from legislators who just arrived from a two-month long vacation that started in April, during which they addressed their constituents.  A lot happened between April and July 6. Among such events, the abrupt resignation of MP for Good Hope/Mabule constituency James Mathokgwane. The announcement by the Tati East MP Samson Guma of his intentions to quit politics in few weeks has also come as a shock to many.

The weekend congress of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party is another event that cannot go unmentioned since it ushered in new faces to the new political landscape, who will take us to the next elections in 2019.  But nothing beats the dramatic events of July 6. On Monday, MPs of the Umbrella for Democratic Change, Wynter Mmolotsi and Phenyo Butale, were ejected from the House by the Deputy Speaker Kagiso Molatlhegi on different charges.

It is normal for offending legislators to be kicked out of proceedings. However, it is the events that led to their dismissal that should raise eyebrows. 

Butale’s biggest sin was to seek to table an urgent motion on the shortage of electricity and water in the country. Standing Orders that guide proceedings of the House are clear on what should be done when there is disagreement between members, including with the Speaker. In addition, there is the Parliamentary Counsel who is always present to interpret the Standing Orders, the Law establishing Parliament, or even the Constitution of the country. It is therefore surprising that the Deputy Speaker, perhaps after losing his temper with the barrages from Opposition MPs, decided, on the spur of the moment, to call security.

It should be noted Parliament existed long before the arrival of the current crop of MPs and their Speaker, and shall continue to be in existence in the future. We have followed parliamentary proceedings over the years and observed that a Speaker should be a very mature person who does not make abrupt decisions based on emotions. During their time, former Speakers like Ray Molomo, Patrick Balopi, and recently, Dr Margaret Nasha, presided over these proceedings with diligence , caution and maturity, despite the fierce political differences that prevailed at the time.

Sanity dictates that our MPs and their Speakers should stay calm and set aside political differences once inside the House. The Speaker should also prevail upon her deputy to hold his horses. She should also restrain the ever-eager National Assembly security guards, who seem overzealous and always itching for action. The manner in which these security personnel (man)handled MP Butale should be investigated. There should be an explanation as to whether there was no alternative to throwing him disgracefully on the hard ground of the Parliament pavement. We trust that the Speaker will do everything in her power to protect the image and integrity of our Parliament for which slogan is “Our Parliament, Our Pride”.

Today’s thought

“Our nation was founded with a bunch of founding legislators who joined together to move our country out of the blocks and get us started, and every generation since then has found a way to advance the ball down the field.”

Cory Booker