Cabinet Ministers Must Be Picked From Parliament

Recently, a Mmegi editorial asked whether the president shouldn't have more choice on cabinet selection. The query came as a corollary to an issue that had been raised by Boyce Sebetela in a parliamentary question. The legislator had enquired if there were any plans to amend the constitution to allow for cabinet ministers to be appointed wholly or in part from outside Parliament.

Sebetela's contention  was that a combination of  the  two roles  could result  in failure to  execute both  duties effectively.  The  minister for Presidential  Affairs and Public Administration  responded that there were no plans to  provide for  such  a dispensation.  Minister Kwelagobe  also pointed out that  our  system was practised by other  democracies with  much larger Parliaments.  

The matter  in question  has  been   a subject of   political  discourse  in   our polity.  Certainly  there is  a  school of  thought  that  wants  the  current system  changed   to enable the  president to look  outside  Parliament  for  people  to sit  in his cabinet. In the Mmegi editorial,  a very persuasive argument  is  ventured for  the  shortcomings  inherent  in the  status quo. Most notably, Mmegi opines that  besides the   heavy  workload on  ministers,  the current practice  blurs  dividing line  between the executive and the legislature. 

Editor's Comment
Micro-procurement maze demands urgent reform

Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...

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