Bill to widen President's powers rejected

Police and protesters clashed outside Botswana's National Assembly in Gaborone last week as MPs voted on a Bill that would have given the President sweeping powers to appoint civil servants to key positions. Opposition MPs boycotted the vote, while protesters, waving placards, protested against the Bill outside. Members of the remaining ruling party failed to raise enough votes to pass the Bill, a Voice of America report notes. Opposition party leader Dithapelo Keorapetse said the Bill, if it had been approved, would have given too much power to the President. ‘Today was a momentous day in that the evil Constitution Amendment Bill, which sought to clothe the President with enormous powers to appoint the Chief Justice, to appoint the Court of Appeal president, to appoint the secretary of the IEC (Independent Electoral Commission), died,’ Keorapetse said. Minister for State President Kabo Morwaeng blamed the opposition and civil society organisations for misleading the nation on what he called a progressive Bill. He said the Bill contained clauses that would have improved citizens’ lives, including provisions on health rights, the right to strike and workers’ rights. Morena Monganja, chairperson of Motheo O Mosha, an NGO behind the protests, said some of their members were hurt during clashes with the police. ‘We look at this event of citizens trying to express their displeasure at a certain piece of legislation and being met with this kind of violence as very unacceptable in a democracy.’ The proposed law was rejected a day before Botswana’s Parliament was dissolved as the country prepares for next month’s general election.

Full Voice of America report