OP should be seen to promote transparency

| Monday May 13, 2013 00:00

While we appreciate the fact that the Office of the President initially received BONELA's petition, it is their manner of response that is very disturbing. The response from the highest office in the land is short and curt. President Khama would not like to discuss anything with the NGO, if that subject has already been  the subject of public discourse.

The response from the OP immediately brings about fears of  a culture of secrecy. We want to believe that  the Office of the President has a duty to promote transparency, democracy, as well as public and open debate on issues of national concern, such as the Health Bill.

Indeed it is also very important for the president and his office to be aware of public opinion on the matter. We are concerned  at  the suggestion by this office that secrecy and not public debate  should have been the way to go about such an important matter.

It is this secrecy that has resulted in some clauses of the law now clashing with constitutional provisions and human rights. We wish the President would have embraced the public debate in the spirit of one of his  five D's, in this case the D, for Democracy. The President and his office should also appreciate and accept that the role of organisations such as BONELA is to lobby, and one of the many platforms for lobbying is the media forums. It is disappointing that the Office of the President expected such a sensitive law not to be publicly debated.

Once again by closing the door on BONELA on the basis of this flimsy excuse, the office of the president is showing itself to be intolerant to public debates, constructive criticism, dialogues, all of which are the pillars of democracy that must be jealously guarded by all, including the President and his office.

Instead of punishing institutions like BONELA for debating issues publicly before they engage the office of the President, Khama's office should come to terms with the  reality that criticism, harsh or otherwise comes with the terrain and we expect the presidency to rise to the occasion and address the issue with the relevant stakeholders rather than this disappointing response given to BONELA.