Direct election of president revisited :: Mmegi Online

This column has in the past expressed an opinion on why direct election of the country's president rhymes with our democratic culture. The subject was resuscitated recently by MP Magama's Parliamentary motion, Masa-a-sele talk-show and Sir Ketumile Masire's revelation that the automatic succession amendment was inspired by the experience of the smooth transition in the US after the assassination of President JF Kennedy.

The assassination of Kennedy took place in 1963 and Lyndon Johnson was installed as his successor in terms of the American constitution. All constitutions to my knowledge have a similar provision for a smooth transition in case of unforeseen contingencies. We need to be aware of that.

What we also need to know is that the US constitution did not empower LB Johnson to vest his Vice President with a constitutional right to appoint his successor. Our constitution on the other hand empowers the president to crown a successor! Remember Mogae said he could dissolve Parliament if his Vice President was not endorsed by MPs?

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