Why not a smooth/cordial transition from power to opposition?
Michael Dingake | Tuesday February 16, 2016 15:05
There is change everywhere and all the time. Even the climate, which humans used to think could be predicted with accuracy, has become unpredictable. It changes. It makes us guess while we shiver and sweat. It’s natural. Social, economic and political statuses transform. Those in power today, shall, as day follows night be out of power tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or whatever next time. It is a given.
Seeing that change is immutable, shouldn’t we the keenly observant species be wise, alert, anticipate it and assist change towards a seamless transition instead of attempting to obstruct, delay, divert or abort it. By trying to frustrate the inevitable change, we may make the inevitable frustrate and make us regret our crass stupidity, of behaving like Canute, who tried to push back the ocean tide. You can’t push back the tide, but you can ride on it and allow it to deposit you at a new destination.
We know Domkrag has been in power 49 years, and incessantly chants, ‘Domkrag go ya goile (Domkrag forever)!’But Domkrag, intelligent as we think they are, know they can’t be in power forever.
Unless we are a dictatorship, not a democracy. Yes, one ruling Mexican party was in power for 70 years because they denied the opposition public party funding. In spite of all that, eventually it lost. Domkrag may apply all the tricks in the book, to exceed the Mexican poll tricksters; it will be stopped in its tracks. The process of change has no exceptionalities. Those who don’t know must wake up to it!
I wish to offer a free, brotherly and patriotic advice to the BDP to prepare for a smooth and cordial transition to the opposition bench: First, I hope the BDP believes in the wise adage, ‘Do unto others as you would, they do unto you…’ In the past 49 years they haven’t lived by the adage. I know our former President Sir Ketumile Masire was fond of telling the world that Botswana was free and democratic, because she haboured no political prisoners! Political prisoners epitomise autocracy and oppression. But they are far from being the only indicators. Ruling parties who persistently sling mud and taunt the opposition, by treating them like the vanquished who will never rise from the ashes, thereby unwittingly inviting retaliation, should the formerly abused opposition attain power. The pinpricks experienced by the Botswana opposition are many and often administered with supreme arrogance. The ruling BDP can ameliorate the situation and befriend Batswana, if they should start doing the following, though belated as it seems:
Adopt public Party funding, it is a democratic right which Domkrag-in-opposition will subsist on and find politically palatable; otherwise Domi-in-opposition may be made to feel the pinch of playing on an uneven playground!
Separation of powers, fully implemented will stand Domkrag-in-opposition in good stead. It will help Domkrag-in-relegation to escape the bullying of the opposition-in-government. There is need to escape the ordeal of umpteen manipulations by the Executive: choice of Speaker, ruling party MPs independence, oversight of the Department of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS) etc!
Declaration of Assets and Liabilities legislation, need be enacted before Domkrag quits the seat of power; otherwise, how is Domkrag-in-opposition going to control the corruption that may arise when the opposition-in-government starts behaving like its predecessor, by running the gravy train instead of running the blue train?
Establishment of an Independent Media Board, BDP will find to be foresighted and preemptive of acceleration of corruption, that may be secretly envisaged as a payback by the new rulers. Making voters inaccessible through the monopoly of the public media funded by public taxes, is the most scandalous thing BDP has ever imposed on the image of Botswana democracy! It doesn’t suit us.
Specially Elected Members of Parliament (SEMPS) shouldn’t be increased by two, they should be decreased by four; they may have served us well during our illiterate patch, today they reflect the backwardness and illiteracy of leadership.
Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system should replace the pseudo-democratic First-Past-The-Post electoral system. PR isn’t only more democratic, it’s conducive to politically empowerment of women! Women political disempowerment will come to haunt Domkrag-in-opposition, if the new regime perpetuates the current attitude of Domi to Batswana women!
Advice from opposition should be welcomed! Had Domkrag accepted advice from opposition, beneficiation would have long started and unemployment wouldn’t be as high, particularly that a concurrent advice from the opposition was ‘education with production,’ which implied skilling schoolchildren as they were educated; supply of power and water wouldn’t be here to plague us if the BDP had taken opposition advice. It isn’t too late, to incorporate opposition advice so that BDP, out of office tomorrow, may witness its political advice welcomed with smile to enhance our political image of tolerance.
Recruitment of senior public servants should be based on qualification and merit, not on patron-age and nepotism. Optimal use of the country’s potential human resources can be achieved for the benefit of Batswana.
Undertakings as suggested above can take Botswana to great heights. Domkrag should lead and pave the way for a seamless transition and a future Botswana oozing patriotism and immunized from partisanship.