Btv to air live Parliamentary debates

MPHO MOKWAPE
Correspondent | Monday July 22, 2013 00:00

 

Parliament on Friday passed a motion calling for the live airing of Parliamentary debates tabled by Selebi Phikwe West Member of Parliament Gilson Saleshando. The motion seeks to give voters access to Parliament sessions.

Saleshando said the live broadcasts would encourage members of the public to take a keen interest in Parliamentary business to help reduce voter apathy.Commenting on the motion, Kanye North MP Kentse Rammidi said people should know their representatives, emphasising that most of the time the electorate votes without knowing what MPs stand for.

'We have been told that the mass media has  state of the art equipment and can house 67 channels but at the moment we only have one while we have so many graduates who are capable of doing the job,' said Rammidi.Tonota South legislator Pono Moathodi said the live broadcasts will ease pressure on reporters as often they omit valuable information or are cited for misquoting MPs.

He said often reporters are overwhelmed by sitting for long hours in Parliament listening to debates and lose concentration in the process, which leads to misinformation of the public.While in agreement, South East North MP and Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Olebile Gaborone said Parliament should take into account that the live broadcasts may open a can of worms as sometimes MPs display uncouth behaviour.He explained that legislators often derail from issues to take swipes at each other.

Mahalapye East MP Botlogile Tshireletso said live broadcasts would offer the public a platform to understand MPs' stances on issues. She cited her recent controversial motion which called for the legalisation of abortion, saying she was often misquoted and made to look as if she encouraged the termination of pregnancies.Boteti South MP Lebonaamang Mokalake advised Parliament to first complete projects that were put aside like the Letlhakane hospital before they could implement live broadcasts.  He emphasised that it is a huge project and said they should find a way to handle it.

He however praised the outgoing Saleshando for leaving them a legacy that they would remember him by with for a long time.