Africa-Press – Botswana. The long awaited Political Parties Funding Bill has finally reached the Parliament floor.
Presented by Minister for State President Honourable Kabo Morwaeng on Monday, the Bill, which has a total of 13 Clauses, seeks to give effect to recommendations from the report of the Presidential Commission on the Review of the Constitution.
Minister Morwaeng said the Bill provided for the administration of the Act by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) secretary under the direction and supervision of the commission.
“This is on the basis that the Electoral Act already provided for electoral expenses, therefore the IEC can monitor and ensure accountability for political party funding,” he said.
He said monies paid to political parties in terms of the Act would be appropriated by the National Assembly for the purpose of funding political parties.
Minister Morwaeng also explained the formula of how the money would be allocated to the parties, with proposals being that half of the funds should be distributed among parties that had received at least five per cent of the total number of votes cast in the past immediate general elections.
“The other half will be distributed on the basis of the number of parliamentary seats won by a political party in Parliament. This is important to make sure that the funding benefits as many political parties as possible,” he said.
He also said the Bill outlined the purposes which monies received must be used for and that funds allocated in terms of the Act should be exempted from income tax.
“Clauses 8 and 9 provide for the obligation from political parties to demonstrate how the monies allocated to them have been utilised and whether such utilisation is in compliance with the purposes from which it was disbursed,” he added.
Minister Morwaeng also proposed for the submission of audited books of accounts of political parties funded, which he said would ensure accountability and transparency in the procurement processes, and that such procurement processes were within the law.
He further indicated that there would be suspension of the disbursement of monies where there was contravention of any of the provisions of the Act, as well as appeals by aggrieved persons on any decision taken under the Act.
Further, he said there would be general penalties for any contravention of the provisions of the Act, as well as the powers of the minister to make regulations for better implementation of the Act.
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