21 Oct 2014

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Margaret Nasha says arrangements are in place to usher in a new government subsequent to the October 24 general elections.

Dr Nasha said a tentative programme of events was already in place, which showed that the inauguration of the president will be at Parliament buildings on October 28.

When briefing the media this week, Dr Nasha said the inauguration will be administered by the Chief Justice in accordance with Section 37 of the Constitution. “The presidential inauguration date is tentative in the sense that the date is to be determined by the elected president, in consultation with the Chief Justice,” she said.

Dr Nasha said the tentative programme had been drawn because there should not be a vacuum and whoever will be declared the winner should resume his duties without delay.

According to the tentative programme, after the swearing in, there will be submission of nominations for candidates of the position of speaker and deputy speaker. Dr Nasha also stated that she will be among the candidates for the speaker.

“Hopefully, I will have a proposer and five supporters and should that happen my name will be on the ballot on that particular day,” she said. The programme further indicated that after the inauguration, there will be election of four specially elected members of parliament.

“According to the law, nothing else takes place other than the election of those four, and we will be closing the activities of that day,” she said. 

Meanwhile meeting of the first session of the 11th Parliament will be held on October 29 at 9 a.m and all members of parliament will be sworn in, the 57 plus four, in accordance with section 71 of the constitution.

In the afternoon, election and swearing of the speaker will follow suit and voting will be presided by the National Assembly clerk in accordance with the country’s constitution.

After swearing in of the new speaker, there will be election of the deputy speaker in accordance with section 60 of the constitution. The programme’s final activity will be the endorsement of the vice president.

She said procedurally the president will bring the name that will be announced in Parliament and would be endorsed by MPs through a secret ballot. The swearing in of the new vice president will be conducted by the newly elected speaker.

Orientation of MPs will be done on November 3-7 at the Gaborone International Convention Centre and finally the 11th Parliament will be officially opened by the President on November 10. Ends