Attorney General Athaliah Molokomme has distanced herself from reports that she is being considered as the ruling Botswana Democratic Party’s candidate to enter parliament as a specially elected member of parliament.
Molokomme told The Telegraph that she has never been approached by anyone to go to parliament, “besides I have no interest in politics, I am a career lawyer.”
She explained that even after her career as attorney general, her next career is going to be in the field of law.
“I am not going anywhere, there is no vacancy at my office and I am not looking for a job,” she said.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Margaret Nasha, announced this week that parliament will convene to nominate a specially elected Member of Parliament. This comes after Lesego Motsumi, formerly minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, resigned from parliament to take up a position as a diplomat.
Motsumi, Kenneth Matambo, Docus Makgatho-Malesu and Vincent Seretse were roped into parliament as specially elected members of parliament. The quartet was all President Ian Khama’s preferred candidates.
Just like after the General Election, Khama has kept the name of his preferred candidate a guarded secret. However, former University of Botswana lecturer Gloria Somolekae as former Debswana Managing Director Blackie Marole’s names have been touted as possible candidates for nomination at the ruling party’s caucus on Tuesday morning just a few hours before the voting takes place.
Unlike in the past, the opposition as a collective is understood to be contesting the election and is believed to be rallying behind lawyer and Botswana Congress Party (BCP)’s Anna Motlhagodi.
As it stands, the ruling BDP has over 40 legislators while the collective opposition has only 13 MPs.
