We don't need fresh elections

| Wednesday March 31, 2010 00:00

President Khama has not commented on these suggestions but some in his party say this is not a remote possibility. Khama does not take advice from us but we will go ahead and give unsolicited counsel realising that those close to him might be telling him what he only wants to hear.  There is nothing to be gained from dissolving Parliament and calling a snap election. Our democracy is not under threat, in fact it has over the past few weeks shown signs of vitality. The state is not under threat, parliamentary democracy is only showing gradual signs of assertiveness. The only institutions that seem to be facing some manageable internal problems are the ruling party and the official opposition. But these are sectarian problems that do not threaten the well-being of the state -more so a well developed African democracy such as Botswana. President Khama surely can make a distinction between what is to all intents and purposes an internal BDP problem and matters of state. We urge President Khama, if at all he had been advised to misdirect himself, to never use failure of his party to deal with internal problems as an excuse to abuse state resources and fix what is essentially a BDP crisis. If Khama were to dissolve Parliament and call for election it will only show the BDP's inability to deal with internal party problems and the extent to which the Presidency undermines the nation with impunity. The exercise will be expensive and unnecessary, especially that the country has just emerged from an election year. Whatever BDP hawks say we believe President Khama is too wise to fall for such a booby trap that could take away all the credit that he has.

On another note, we find it extremely disappointing that Botswana Television (Btv) and Radio Botswana (RB), institutions that that are financed from public coffers have decided to throw ethics and professionalism out of the window in their reckless drive to please their political masters at Tsholetsa House and Office of the President (OP).

The two government owned media institutions have decided to take an active part in a BDP internal war of attrition. This is disappointing for media houses that want to be perceived as public broadcasters. We have always maintained that these are government owned media houses but run at the pleasure of the ruling elites. The professionals working at these departments have been reduced at best to information officers and ruling party spin-doctors, any attempt on any one of them to consider themselves as journalists will be an insult to the holy grail of balance and impartiality. The recent A-Team and Barata-Phathi flare-up is a clear demonstration that there is no journalism from mass media complex but Office of the President and Tsholetsa House propaganda.Why are they doing this to some talented and innocent Batswana children who want to do what is necessary?

                                                                        Today's thought

                                           The only wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing

                                                                              Socrates