- Has fought to raise his aborted question again
- Accuses Speakers of protecting ministers
- Moswaane was barred from posing urgent question last week
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
After being thrown out of Parliament for raising the alarm on shortage of diabetes medication at public health facilities through an urgent question last week, the MP for Francistown West, Ignatius Moswaane, has raised the same question again, The Botswana Gazette has established.
The Acting Speaker of the National Assembly, Pono Moatlhodi, barred the outspoken MP for posing an urgent question without notice, arguing that the Minister of Health was not ready.
Diabetes medication
Another effort by Moswaane also failed on Monday after the Acting Speaker decried lack of time. However, Moswaane scheduled the question for Wednesday (today).
The development means the MP has been given another opportunity to raise the issue of shortage of diabetes medication through the same system from which he was barred and ultimately thrown out of Parliament forcibly.
In an interview with The Botswana Gazette, Moswaane expressed shock and disappointment that he was barred from posing an urgent question after the Acting Speaker initially allowed him to.
“The Standing Order clearly states that before bringing an urgent question without notice, you notify the minister responsible and the Speaker, he said. “That is what I definitely did.”
Answer instantly
“But to my surprise, Moatlhodi barred me from raising the question saying the minister was not ready. This kind of question does not need the minister to be ready because they are supposed to provide answers instantly.
“I am happy that I have been given an opportunity to raise the question again.”
Moswaane went on to accuse the Acting Speaker of deliberately preventing the question in order to shield the Minister of Health from being exposed.
“Moatlhodi has developed a new system of removing agendas from the Parliamentary Order Paper, especially if he knows that the issue has the potential to expose the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) government.
Standing Order 37.4
Reached for comment, the Acting Speaker accused Moswaane of misunderstanding Standing Order 37.4 that relates to urgent questions.
“The Standing Order clearly states that the minister responsible for answering the question should be involved, but this is what Moswaane is against,” Moatlhodi said.
“The minister should be notified before the question is posed so that he or she may prepare. This is where our fight comes from. Moswaane should know that I am rigid when it comes to Standing Orders and will act as they dictate.”