Ntuane calls for review of constitution

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Friday July 30, 2010 00:00

The motion reads: 'that this Honourable House requests government to establish a broad-based commission to undertake a comprehensive citizen centre initiative to review the Republican Constitution adopted on 30th September, 1966 and such a review process to be completed within 18 months.'

Ntuane attempted to table the motion last year but later withdrew it because he did not want to steal the limelight from the debate on the president's state of the nation address.

As he was still a member of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), he also faced resistance from the ruling party which did not want to hear about the review of the constitution. This time around he will be tabling the motion as a member of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).

The debate on the review of the constitution intensified in parliament after last year's BDP congress. Some of the MPs - who were to later join the BMD - felt that the constitution gave the country's president too much power. Even the BDP chairman, Daniel Kwelagobe has called for a review of the constitution. 

Calls for a constitutional review were renewed last year following the Gomolemo Motswaledi case.  This was after Motswaledi took the BDP president, Ian Khama and his party to court to challenge the decision to suspend him.  However, the courts ruled that no legal action could be taken against the president because he is covered by presidential immunity.

Following his defection to the BMD, Ntuane is trying his luck again with the motion but he should not bank on support from the BDP. However Ntuane is assured of support not only from his new party but also from other opposition MPs.

Parliament has been debating another motion by Ntuane that calls on the government to institute a commission to find out why the task force on FIFA 2010 World Cup failed to secure lucrative deals.