Masisi scolds BDP MPs for collapsing quorum

Vice President and leader of the house in Parliament Mokgweetsi Masisi has called Botswana Democratic Party Members of Parliament to order and warned them against bunking Parliament, which results in lack of quorum.

Masisi met the MPs on Friday last week after Parliament business was adjourned to Monday. The closed-door meeting was held in Parliament shortly after Masisi arrived and parliament adjourned. A BDP MP who attended the meeting told Botswana Guardian after that “VP was warning us against the continued premature adjournment of Parliament business. He was concerned that the conduct is affecting the efficiency of Parliament.”

Masisi allegedly indicated that going forward the MPs should show commitment to Parliament business especially when they are available and not away on other official duties. The MPs started walking one by one out of Parliament during the debate of a motion tabled by MP for Francistown West Ignatius Moswaane, which called for government to improve conditions of service for Dikgosi by providing them with official residence and official transport.

Prior to that Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Botlogile Tshireletso proposed an amendment to the motion, which was defeated. Speaker of Parliament Gladys Kokorwe expressed her concern about the continued failure by MPs to attend Parliament proceedings. Kokorwe then adjourned parliament business. BDP Chief Whip Liakat Kably refuted the claims that the leader of the house had reprimanded BDP MPs.

He said what they discussed during their closed door meeting inside Parliament was of no public interest. “Just like any other time we do meet the vice president from time to time as BDP MPs. We discuss things that affect the party and the country as the party in government. What we were discussing there concerned us and cannot be shared with a third party. It had nothing to do with the quorum. How can we collapse the quorum while the motion was from one of us (BDP MPs)?”

Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) Parliamentary Spokesperson, Dr Phenyo Butale condemned the BDP MPs for collapsing the quorum. He said the BDP seems not to care about Parliament “especially when the business of the day is for Private members business like on Fridays. We usually see them in Parliament in large numbers when it is something that will benefit them. Which means this is about them and not Batswana.”

Dr Butale stated that what transpired on Friday was a deliberate move by BDP MPs because they wanted Parliament to adjourn before UDC Secretary General Ndaba Gaolathe could table his motion. Gaolathe who is the MP for Bonnington South was to table a motion calling for establishment of an independent regulatory body for water and electricity.

“When there is something that is important for this country and its citizens BDP MPs we know will always find a way to frustrate such efforts. They were just trying to frustrate Gaolathe’s motion. They have now turned Parliament into a joke”, said Dr Butale.