- How many Members does the Parliament have?
- What is the role of a Member of Parliament?
- Who selects Specially Elected Members of Parliament?
- What is the procedure to follow when one wants to visit Parliament?
- What happens if the President has not come to Parliament?
- What is the role of Parliament?
- Are Parliamentary meetings open to the Public?
- What are the required qualifications for Members of Parliament?
- How many opposition parties have representation in Parliament?
How many Members does the Parliament have?
Parliament has 65 Members;
- 57 Members are elected by the Constiuents
- 6 Members are Specially elected by Members of Parliament
- 2 are Ex-officios being the President and The Speaker
What is the role of a Member of Parliament?
- Representation role - Member of Parliament represents the concerns and interests of his/her Constituency.
Who selects Specially Elected Members of Parliament?
- All leaders of political parties represented in the House submit their nominees and the 57 Members of Parliament with constituencies vote through secret ballot.
- Those who get more votes become Specially Elected Members of Parliament.
What is the procedure to follow when one wants to visit Parliament?
Submit a written request including the following:
- The name of your institution
- Number of people intending to visit
- Date and time of the visit
- Parliamentary related topics to be covered.
What happens if the President has not come to Parliament?
- The meeting continues.
What is the role of Parliament?
- To legislate (make laws)
- Representation role
- Approve the National Budget
- Parliament plays an oversight role through Parliamentary Committees (e.g. Public Accounts Committee).
Are Parliamentary meetings open to the Public?
Yes they are.
- There is a public gallery in the chamber specifically meant for anyone who wishes to watch the proceedings of the House.However, members of the public are expected to remain quiet in their seats.
- They are not allowed to make any contributions and to take notes while in the House.
What are the required qualifications for Members of Parliament?
- Should be a citizen of Botswana
- Should be 21 years and above
- Should be able to speak, and, unless incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause, to read English well enough to take an active part in the proceedings of the National Assembly.
How many opposition parties have representation in Parliament?
Two opposition parties
- Umbrella for Democratic Change(UDC)
- Alliance for Progressives(AP)