Mmegi understands that the much talked about Bill christened Floor Crossing Bill by politicians and political activists will be tabled in October sitting. According to the Minister of Presidential Affairs Governance and Public Administration, Kabo Morwaeng, the object of the Bill is to insert a new paragraph at Section 68 to cause vacancy in the seat of an elected member of the National Assembly who, having been elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of a political party, resigns from the political party. Similarly, the proposed amendment causes a vacancy in the seat of an elected member who having been elected to the National Assembly as a candidate who is not a member of a political party, becomes a member of apolitical party.
The effect of the proviso is to ensure that the coming into effect of the amendment does not immediately create a vacancy in the seat of those members who would have already changed political allegiance. Likewise, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Eric Molale will also table a similar Bill called Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2020. This Bill will affect elected councillors.
