PRIME Minister Raila’s ODM and the Vice President Kalonzo’s ODM-K may be forced to drop their resembling symbols and colours if a newly proposed law is endorsed by Parliament.
The proposed Political Party’s Bill 2011 empowers the registrar of political parties to order parties with resembling colours or symbols to amend their constitutions. Article eight of the proposed law outlaws the possession of resembling party symbols and abbreviations or even names.
The ODM and the ODM-K share common features borrowed from their previous relationships before they split in 2007. “The registrar may refuse an application for the registration of a political party if, in the opinion of the registrar, the name of the party or the abbreviation of the name or the symbol that it wishes to use for the purposes of this act is the name of or is an abbreviation of the name of another political party,” reads part of the proposed law.
The ODM and the ODM-K share common features borrowed from their previous relationships before they split in 2007. “The registrar may refuse an application for the registration of a political party if, in the opinion of the registrar, the name of the party or the abbreviation of the name or the symbol that it wishes to use for the purposes of this act is the name of or is an abbreviation of the name of another political party,” reads part of the proposed law.
ODM and ODM-K’s differences are minimal as their abbreviations sound almost the same and use the same colour which may confuse voters. The new legislation has also proposed guiding structures in the formation of coalitions. Parties entering coalition agreements will now have to deposit a copy of their Memorandum of Understanding to the registrar of political parties 21 days after the signing of the agreements if the coalition is after an election.
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