Delivering his ceremonial speech to mark his first year as the Speaker of the Assembly, he took legislators on the visions, challenges and some of the milestones since the start of the 13th Parliament. Keorapetse said the House will soon embark on a journey to amend Standing Orders, which are instrumental in how the business of Parliament is conducted. “During my tenure as the Speaker I also hope to facilitate the review of the Standing Orders through the Standing Orders reform committee which will ensure that our Standing Orders remain relevant,” he told the 13th Parliament.
The Speaker outlined that the amendment of the Standing Orders will ensure that the National Assembly is aligned with practices that developed countries have adopted. “This will ensure that our Standings Orders remain relevant and up to date with international standards and thereby improving the overall efficiency of the House as we need to further democratise the debates in the house through these standings orders,” he added. The former Selibe-Phikwe West Member of Parliament (MP) and Leader of Opposition added that this practice will also remove hurdles and include compelling the President to answer questions. “I must say that I am in discussions with the President (Duma Boko) regarding a possibility of amendment of the Standing Order so that he answers questions in Parliament,” he said.
