International Day of Democracy Parliamentary Conference on Democracy in Africa organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Parliament of Botswana Gaborone, Botswana, 14 – 16 September 2009 SUMMARY RECORDS DIRECTOR OF CEREMONY (MRS MONICA MPHUSU): His Excellency the President of Botswana, Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, IPU President, Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab, Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Ms Thokozani Khupe, Former President of Togo Mr Yawovi Agboyibo, Members of the diplomatic community, President and founder of Community Development Foundation Ms Graça Machel, Honourable Speakers, Cabinet Ministers, Permanent Secretary to the President, Honourable Members of Parliament, Dikgosi, if at all they are here, Distinguished Guests. I wish to welcome you to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference. It is an honour and privilege to us as a nation to have been given the opportunity to host this conference especially during our election year. This conference comes at a time when local politicians are criss-crossing the country as the election date approaches. They are begging the general public to employ them. They want to be given five year contract. Your Excellencies, some of you would have observed from our local media how vibrant and robust our democracy is. This demonstrates the political maturity that our society has achieved over the past 43 years since we attained independence. Your Excellencies, it is now my singular honour and privilege to introduce our host, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Botswana, Mr Patrick Balopi to welcome our delegates. MR PATRICK BALOPI (SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA): Master of ceremonies, your Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana, Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, The President of IPU Honourable Dr Ben-Theo Gurirab and National Assembly Speaker of the Republic of Namibia, Honourable Speakers here present and presiding officers, Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Madam Khupe, Honourable Cabinet Ministers here present, Your Excellencies Members of the Diplomatic Corp, Members of Parliament here present from both Botswana and visiting colleagues, the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Togo, Your Worship the Mayor of Gaborone, the Secretary General of the IPU, Anders Johnsson, Commissioner for political Affairs representing AU (African Union), President and Founder of the Foundation for Community Development Madam Graça Machel, Permanent Secretary to the President, the Attorney General of the Republic of Botswana, Kgosi Gaborone of Batlokwa, Members of the Civil Society here present, Media fraternity, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, what a long salutation. That is why often people simply say, “protocol observed.” Your Excellency, allow me first and foremost to say how humble we are for you to have so kindly consented to our invitation to officially open this, our international day of democracy conference this morning. Your mere presence Sir and the words of wisdom you are about to share with us on the theme of this conference will go a long way, no doubt, in demonstrating your personal commitment to the principles of democracy as enshrined in the national principles that have become the hallmark of Botswana since independence, 43 years ago. A special gratitude goes to your government and the people of Botswana who, notwithstanding the global financial crisis that affected all including Botswana, have allowed our Parliament to go ahead and co-sponsor this conference. The financial cost of the conference coupled with the fact that the nation is currently preoccupied with the preparations for the tenth general election next month could not overweigh the gains that we hope our continent, Africa, will derive from the dialogue that will take place within the next three days on the theme of: Democracy and Political Tolerance. Our sincere thanks also go to our visiting colleagues, the presiding officers and Honourable Members of Parliament, the visiting dignitaries and the distinguished resource persons for making this conference the success we all hope it will be. It will be remiss of me Your Excellency to fail to recognize and thank most sincerely, the many cooperating partners and in particular the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation for the support and the social responsibility role they have rendered to make this conference a reality. To the leadership of the IPU: the Botswana Parliament owes you a debt of gratitude for having identified our country as a destination of choice, for this is the first International Day of Democracy conference on the African continent. Botswana takes pride in its status as one of the world’s oldest established multiparty democracies as well as the oldest on the continent. Botswana should however not be lured into complacency. Our democratic values must be continually tested, nurtured and renewed hence the immense value we will obviously gain from the deliberations on the outcome of this conference will be so important to us. We meet here as parliamentarians representing a continent that has gone through some painful experiences of the most despotic and brutal regimes that have violated fundamental human rights, adopted political and economic policies that have been generally misguided, unconstitutional and unsustainable. Addressing the Ghanaian Parliament on the 11th of July 2009, the United States of America President Barrack Obama had this to say, and I quote, “You must start from the simple premise that Africa’s Future is up to Africans. I say this knowing fully well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world”. We meet here under the theme, “Democracy” as parliamentarians. Parliament has been described as the embodiment of democracy, an institution that represents the voice of the voiceless, a process through which the will of the people is expressed, where laws and policies affecting the welfare of society are promulgated, where government is held accountable and where the rule of law and the respect for human rights is held in high esteem. Let us therefore use this conference as a platform to recommit ourselves to the defense and promotion of these noble principles. Finally, Batswana are notably famous for their hospitality and a high sense of botho. In South Africa they will say, Buntu, botho. The spirit of, “I am because we are”, that is the spirit of botho. I would therefore invite you colleagues to feel free during the course of your stay here and freely and peacefully experience the beauty and the warmth of our country and people. Explore Botswana’s best kept secret. Pula!! DIRECTOR OF CEREMONY: Thank you so much Honourable Balopi. His Excellency the President, invited guests, I am now pleased to introduce our next speaker, Honourable Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab. Honourable Gurirab is the President of the IPU as well as Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Namibia. Dr Gurirab previously held a number of leading positions in his country such as; Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Information and Broadcasting. He was a Member of the Constituents Assembly Constitution Drafting Committee, and also a founding Member of Parliament. He has been a member of the politburo of the ruling party or SWAPO since 1990. As a seasoned diplomat and negotiator Dr Gurirab served as SWAPO’s Chief Representative to the UN for 14 years during the liberation struggle. Please let us welcome to the podium the President of the IPU Honourable Dr Gurirab. HON. DR. THEO-BEN GURIRAB (PRESIDENT OF THE INTER- PARLIAMENTARY UNION): His Excellency Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of the Republic of Botswana, Madam Graca Machel, Speakers, Presiding Officers of Parliaments, Honourable Members of Parliaments, Delegates, Ladies and Gentleman. First, a warm welcome to you all and a big word of thanks to my brothers, sisters and friends in Botswana who have been working so hard to bring us all here today. Thank you very much Honourable Speaker. We are here to celebrate the Second International Day of Democracy. This is indeed an auspicious day for parliaments. It is an occasion to celebrate democracy. In November 2007 the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 September as the International Day of Democracy. In so doing, the United Nations stated that “while democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy” and that “democracy does not belong to any country or region”. I wholeheartedly agree because I see no contradiction. The International Day of Democracy gives us an opportunity to step back from our daily political pursuits and to think about what kind of society we are trying to build in today’s world. It is a chance to remind ourselves and the public of what democracy means in real life. A democracy is a society in which all people participate in the management of public affairs. In a democracy all people have equal rights and choices. Democracy is a struggle. As I and many of you know very well, it is a jewel that you have to fight for. Even with the best will in the world, no one can just arrive and deliver democracy. It needs to be nurtured and strengthened. Without careful attention, there is always the risk of slipping back into non-representative forms of government that serve the interests of the few, not for many. Such government cannot be legitimate. Parliamentary Conference on Democracy in Africa-Botswana 2009 Page | 2 The International Day of Democracy is an opportunity to celebrate what we have achieved. It must also be an occasion to look objectively and calmly at what remains to be done, without fear but also without unrealistic expectations. The International Day of Democracy is of a special interest for parliaments. Parliaments are the centre of a complex set of institutions and practices that make up a democratic system of government.