BDP to punish truant MPs
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday February 24, 2017 17:24
The BDP parliamentary caucus has resolved to deal evenly with Ministers and MPs who miss Parliament without having informed the chief whip on time. The decision was taken on Tuesday at the BDP caucus. Mmegi has learnt that the BDP chief whip Liakat Kablay has been tasked to write and submit names of MPs and Cabinet Ministers who miss Parliament without valid reasons to party President Ian Khama or the Leader of the House and Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Recently Parliament was forced to adjourn because it could not form a quorum and most absentees were ministers. “The caucus also resolved that the Vice President Masisi or President should take action against such culprits within a reasonable time because there are some MPs and Cabinet Ministers who persist with such bad behaviour.
Ministers have been advised to take questions and answers seriously,” the source said.
The source said the members were advised that they should desist from coming to register for sitting allowance and go back after attending for 10 minutes or less in Parliament. “This is completely wrong and it is tantamount to stealing from Government. It has appeared that MPs from across the political divide only attend Parliament session for few minutes and then go outside the House to chat with others. At times they disappear after registering for sitting allowance,” the source said.
Another source said the Ministers had been advised to attend party caucus on Tuesday without fail.
Kablay confirmed that their party would now start to take action against members. “I cannot disclose what the caucus has resolved but I know that action would be taken against MPs or Cabinet Ministers who miss Parliament. You cannot represent people when you do not attend Parliament,” Kablay said.
Meanwhile, the caucus resolved that the MPs and Ministers should start doing house-to-house campaigns in Tlokweng to lure people to vote for BDP.
“We have divided both MPs and Ministers into three teams for the campaign and there will be led by Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Shaw Kgathi. We want to win this constituency and we will intensify campaigns in the area. We are taking our members in the constituencies to go and help with house to house campaigns,” Kablay said.