Govt.’ s footdragging riles Opposition
Sets up a Technical Team to prepare a road application for Constitutional review Demands direct election of President as its blue print for consultation
Opposition parties have expressed concern at government’s footdragging attitude towards the constitutional review process that has been on the cards for far too long.
Opposition Cooperation Forum Chairperson Dr. Margret Nasha said information comes in drips and drabs, mostly at the instigation of Opposition Members of Parliament. “We want to remind the nation that President Masisi has made many promises right from the time of his inauguration in April 2018, that his government will conduct a comprehensive review of the constitution of Botswana. “Three years down the line, the government is still talking about it, without any movement whatsoever. It’s not difficult to decipher the eagerness with which Batswana are awaiting for the process to begin. “We have been reading about unions, youth groups, Labour, BOCONGO and other civic organisations getting together to prepare their own submissions on the review, but the government’s lips remain sealed,” Nasha said. She pointed out that as the Opposition bloc, they have therefore decided to take this first step, not to even open a debate on what should or should not be included in the draft constitution, issue by issue.
“What we want to put forward at this point in time, are our demands on the processes necessary before the anticipated Commission could even start discussing the contents of the new constitution in earnest,” she added. Nasha told the media that they demand the inclusion therein, of the direct election of the President; electoral reforms; independence of all oversight institutions; separation of powers and distribution of the powers of the President, to name but a few. According to Nasha in order to achieve that her committee has recommended to their principals, that the Opposition bloc sets up a Technical Team to prepare a road application for constitutional review. The team will be constituted by two representatives from each of the negotiating parties. “We demand that the review itself must be as comprehensive as we can possibly make it. We are not asking for amendments and some such cosmetic changes to the existing 55- year- old constitution. “It is a shame that neighbouring countries which got their Independence and majority rule after Botswana are well ahead of us in this process. They already have in place modern constitutions which are relevant to the times we live in. “We strongly believe that it will be in order to bring together all stakeholders to agree on the process, before the work of the Commission starts in earnest. By stakeholders we mean churches, political parties, unions, dikgosi, women and youth groups, and civil society in general. “This constitution is for Batswana and Botswana. It is going to be the guiding document for this country for decades to come, and there should be no short cuts in its review,” Nasha told the press. The opposition bloc demands that the Chairperson and Members of the Commission should not be imposed by government. Its composition should be inclusive, and for that to be achieved, its membership should be agreed upon at the first consultative meeting of stakeholders, together with the Terms of Reference, Nasha posited. The opposition has further called for a fully participatory consultative process which will not leave any part of the society or grouping behind. “There should be a concerted effort on the part of government and all stakeholders as interested parties, to educate Batswana using all fora and media outlets at their disposal, about the Constitution and what it means to them to ensure that they take keen interest in its preparation and participate meaningfully when the time comes for them to do so.
“Batswana must own the new constitution. Although we believe that there should be a time frame set for the conclusion of the process, we also don’t believe it should necessarily be rushed.
“We are not going to listen to any stories of lack of finances needed for this very important project. It is either we do it and do it properly or we don’t.
“With all that has been going on regarding public funds utilisation, no one will be prepared to buy that kind of story, let alone members of the Parties in Opposition in Botswana,” Nasha stated.