Africa-Press – Botswana. The opposition party has called on civil society organisations and Batswana in general to openly state their rejection of what it sees as President Boko’s attempt to coax the nation into accepting state capture of his government because it is a fundamental departure from public procurement and the rule of law.
President Duma Boko’s insistence on replacing competitive tendering with direct appointment for public tenders is a symptom of state capture, the Botswana Labour Party (BLP) has said.
In a strongly-worded statement following Boko’s repeated iteration of the anomaly, the BLP has denounced the unprecedented deviation for undermining fundamental principles of public procurement, the rule of law, impartiality, and sound decision-making.
“The nation should beware of lone-ranger type leaders who act independently of the governing party, Cabinet and Parliament, making unilateral pronouncements that have not been debated or tested in any democratic forum,” the party warned.
Friends and acquaintances
“This is how state capture creeps in when individuals assume the roles of long-established governance structures.”
The BLP statement went on to accuse President Boko of attempting to centralise government procurement under the presidency, warning that this would result in a system where only his friends and acquaintances benefit from lucrative government projects.
“We warn the nation not to be flummoxed into silently accepting this dictatorial approach to governance,” it said.
The BLP called on civil society and patriotic citizens to stand in opposition to the “routine abuse” that direct appointment for tenders by the presidency is.
But while the BLP emphasised its opposition to Boko’s deviation that it described as “the worst form of procurement practice”, it acknowledged the need for reforming the existing tendering system.
Most shocking
“What is most shocking is to see comrades who stood with us against this practice just nine months ago now championing it as the country’s best path forward,” said the statement.
The BLP’s criticism follows President Boko’s recent address to a kgotla meeting in Lerala where he stated his intentions to replace competitive bidding with direct appointment for public tenders and various other settings.
The President sought to justify this by saying it is aimed at avoiding litigation over disputed tender awards and to improve service delivery, among others.
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