In a landmark ceremony, Parliament Speaker Dithapelo Keorapetse formally opened the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the 13th Parliament, using the occasion to unveil an ambitious reform agenda aimed at transforming Botswana's legislature into a truly independent, inclusive, and citizen-centered institution.
For the first time since independence, Parliament officially opened its legislative business as a standalone ceremony distinct from the State of the Nation Address or the Budget Speech.
Speaker Keorapetse said, "Parliament ought not be an appendage of the Executive but a co-equal branch of Government, operationally independent and constitutionally empowered."
"This ceremony required no amendment to our Standing Orders, only the will to establish it," he said, praising the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition for making the day possible.
He also invoked the historic 2024 elections, the first peaceful transfer of power, as proof of Botswana's democratic maturity. But he cautioned that "democracy is not self-sustaining; it requires nurturing, defending, and constantly renewing."
Speaker Keorapetse's reform agenda includes institutional independence via an autonomous Parliamentary Services Commission and Budget Office (addressing Parliament's 0.2% budget share), strengthening legislative capacity beyond the current two lawyers, boosting female representation from 8.7% and expanding MPs to at least 100, modernising Standing Orders, enacting a Public Participation Law, and adopting a binding Code of Conduct.
The Speaker acknowledged systemic challenges and also celebrated achievements - 53 bills passed in 20 months, strategic partnerships raising millions of pula for capacity building, and the launch of the "Bridging the Gap" project with civil society.
Opposition Leader Dumelang Saleshando, in his address, pledged constructive engagement, saying: "We shall scrutinise without hostility, criticise without malice, and cooperate without compromising principle." He also announced six private member bills ready for consideration.
