Nasha promises to transform parliament

She told the newly sworn in MPs that: "I do not intend to turn this House into a pre-burial night vigil, I shall allow for robust and lively debates, which must however remain focused on the issues at hand. Indeed I expect divergent views to emerge during those lively debates, but our choice of words must at all times exude a high degree of mutual respect and finesse," she said.

Nasha is the first woman Speaker in Botswana. She shared her frustrations with the ninth Parliament whose debates had to be stopped on several occasions because of no quorum. "Several times, my predecessor had to suspend our sittings, due to lack of a quorum in the House. You will agree with me that this situation impacted negatively on our institutional performance and image," she said. She added that the people who participated in the last week's general election in huge numbers are expecting the highest measures of commitment and service from MPs they voted for.