President Ian Khama is said to have rejected a proposal by Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Members of Parliament to have their salaries increased before they could support the Presidential retirement package Bill.
Information reaching this publication is that the president has told his party MPs to their faces that ‘it would never happen.’ The BDP MPs had wanted to take advantage of the Bill to have their pensions and gratuities reviewed by way of increasing their monthly salaries. The President’s (Gratuity, Pensions and Retirement Benefits) Bill was expected to be debated in the current Parliament session and possibly made to pass but due to this development it had to be delayed with the hope that the MPs would one day during their party caucus be able to convince the president.
Parliament will go for recess next week and the Bill will possibly only return next year during the winter session which is specifically for Bills unless there is an opportunity to squeeze it during the State of the Nation Address in November this year or during the Budget speech session in February next year.
The Bill, which opposition MPs have vowed to reject states among other things that the President shall upon the dissolution of Parliament, or immediately upon ceasing to hold office as such be entitled to receive a gratuity equal to 30 percent of his or her current monthly basic salary multiplied by the number of months completed by him or her as President. The President would also receive a tax free monthly pension equivalent to monthly basic salary attached to the office of President at the time that he or she ceases to hold office, or 80 percent of the incumbent President’s salary, whichever is greater.
During BDP Parliamentary Caucus meeting last week Tuesday, the MPs confronted the President requesting that Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration be directed to draft a Bill that would increase the salaries together with those for Councillors and Dikgosi. The issue was supposed to be further discussed this week, however, Botswana Guardian can safely confirm that it was not discussed at the party caucus meeting, as Khama was not in attendance due to “other official engagements.”The MPs according to insiders tried to push Khama against the wall but the president wouldn’t budge. “He has told us that it would be impossible to grant what we wanted. He told us to our faces that if that is the case then we could also drop the Presidents’ retirement package Bill. We want to continue to engage him on the matter so the Bill might have to be moved to the next session while we dialogue with him”, said a BDP MP who attended the meeting.
Another MP revealed that the President made it clear that he would not buy into the idea because there are no funds. “He told us that it would be wrong to make increment for politicians while the public servants have for long not been given increment. As a straight talker he made it clear that if we want to ride on the Presiden’ts Retirement Bill, it is better the Bill is scrapped off. He indicated that as for him, he is okay with the current arrangement for presidents vacating office and would not be held to ransom over the proposed Bill”, said the MP who is also a Minister.
Government Chief Whip Liakat Kably said the President’s Retirement Bill was discussed at the meeting but could not shed more light on the issue. “Look at the caucus we discuss a lot of things that affect the party and the country because we are the government of the day. We discuss Parliament issues, that is questions, motions and Bills but it is not for media consumption”, Kably said adding that if the party feels what was discussed should be shared with the media proper arrangement would be made for such to happen.
BDP Deputy Secretary General, Shaw Kgathi said as BDP MPs they are ready to debate the Bill once tabled in Parliament. He indicated that there is no way they would sabotage the Bill because according to their understanding the Bill allows the country to save a lot of money. “The Presidents retirement package Bill is lined up for debate in Parliament. If you put value to it there would be much funds spending reduction.
It is also for the dignity of the presidents’ wives and families. Under the current arrangement when the president dies, the widow is vacated from the house because it is state property but if we build for them it is much better and goes a long way proving that we love and respect our presidents”, stated Kgathi. Kgathi who is also the Minister of Defence Justice and Security said as to what transpired during the party’s caucus meetings he would leave it to the media for their continued speculation. “With what was discussed at the caucus I would let you carry on with what you have been reporting about the Bill”.