The importance of the position of the Speaker of the National Assembly to Botswana’s constitutional and parliamentary democracy cannot be over emphasized.
Not only is the Speaker a constitutional position, it is a venerable one that is expected to prevail and arbitrate when members cannot agree among themselves or across party lines.
Inside the Parliament halls, the Speaker reigns supreme, and with guidance from Standing Orders, his/her word is final.
As such, no doubt should be created in the minds of the Members of Parliament and the nation at large that at any given time the Speaker of the National Assembly could be using their position to covertly further the interest of one of the BDP factions or, worse, to disadvantage as to annihilate the other.
In fact, the Speaker, if he or she is a person of good will, could use their position to heal the wounds and promote a culture of tolerance and coexistence.
If they are a person of ill will they could actually be the best placed person to further inflame the fires.
Naturally, being people, Speakers of the national assembly are bound to make mistakes, in some instances really big mistakes. But then, if they are perceived as neutral they will always be given the benefit of the doubt.
We note with reassurance the progress Vice President Ian Khama has made over the last 18 months or so to detach himself from the BDP factions.
It is not a secret that Khama found himself entangled within factions when he bid for the party chairmanship a few years ago.
The actions of the outgoing President, Festus Mogae, in fuelling factions, especially through the use of cabinet positions should also be condemned.
As future President, Khama is going to play a central role of who becomes Speaker in the next parliament following the General Elections.
We have a problem with the position of Speaker of Parliament being used as part of largesse and patronage to BDP functionaries who have no constituencies.
We think the position should be given to people based and not to membership of one faction or the other.
Our position as Sunday Standard is that it is high time this all too important position is given to a woman.
Our belief, however, is that the position is just too important to be turned into a kind of affirmative action appointment.
The appointment should be given to the right woman who has the right credentials: requisite experience and, more importantly, integrity.
Thus, we draw solace from recent reports that Margaret Nasha and Gladys Kokorwe are eyeing the position.
But we urge Khama to make sure that in choosing who gets the position, he has in his mind the historical background of the candidates and their extent of involvement in the factional belligerence that has so much become an integral part of the BDP political discourse.
Khama’s choice should be informed by his desire to gradually phase out factions inside the BDP.
That should also form part of his criteria for appointing his cabinet.
Cabinet appointments are as per the law the prerogative of the State President.
Nobody can question them.
But then first and foremost, presidents are politicians not lawyers.
As such they should not display wholly legalistic approaches to these very sensitive matters which have the potential to tear the country apart.
That we think is what should be in the mind of Khama as he fields audiences and parleys from his party lobbyists for the position of Speaker.
