What is clear is that parties with the majority of existing Members of Parliament (MPs) and those with more women will benefit the most. Additionally, parties that have legally renewed their status with the Registrar of Societies may also receive a share. Last Thursday, various party representatives from local political organisations argued that all parties should receive some portion of the P34 million, not just those with MPs in Parliament, to enhance democracy. However, political party representatives were told by State President the Minister Kabo Morwaeng that the model recommended by the Constitutional Review Commission is that Parliamentary women get P600,000 each.
On the other hand P400,000 each will for male parliamentarians, he said when addressing the All-Party Conference held in Phakalane last week Thursday. A source told The Monitor that the minister has also informed “us that the Bill for political funding” will be brought before Parliament urgently this coming one. “We have agreed that this committee or meeting should be called again to review the Bill before it goes to Parliament. Again, they would be resolutions we make or come up with so that Parliament may approve them. “The way things are, the smaller parties that don't have MPs might not benefit anything from this funding, which is unfair to us.” According to the source, the minister also hinted to them that the Political Funding Bill is not ready but the draft form is still to go through Cabinet.
In his opening remarks, Morwaeng stated that political parties hadn't submitted their position papers on how political funding should be distributed. However, during the closed session, he mentioned that some parties, including Botswana Congress Party, Botswana Patriotic Front, Botswana Movement for Democracy, Botswana Labour Party, PUSO, Botswana Democratic Party and Real Alternative Party, had submitted their position papers. Meanwhile, the source said there will be audited statements on how the funds were used and provisions for penalties for failure to do so. In his speech, Morwaeng said: “The other important action item was for members to make proposals on the modalities of operationalising the political funding from the government. This is a substantive agenda item for discussion in the meeting. One other major reason we are gathered here today is to discuss the modalities of political party funding. I wish to take this opportunity and thank you for the submissions you made to my office on proposals on how the fund may be utilised.”
