In a surprising move, Gichugu MP Martha Karua is planning to have Parliament change the title of the the Political Parties Bill, 2011 to the “The G Seven (Political Parties) Bill, 2011.” The proposed amendment by the former Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister has already been approved by the Clerk's office as well as the Speaker's office and already listed in tomorrows Order Paper.
Karua has taken the move after legislators allied to G7 which brings together Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Eldoret North MP William Ruto ganged to safeguard a clause in the Political Parties Bill, 2011 which permits both pre and post election coalitions.
The G7 Mps also safeguarded a clause which will permit politicians to engage in party hopping including the last days to a general election. Last week in Parliament, Karua said she was opposed to legalising party hopping terming it as a fraud to voters. She termed such hopping as “political promiscuity.”
She now wants the title of the Bill changed to “The G Seven (Political Parties) Bill, 2011,” arguing it has negated the intended purpose of bringing political sanity in the country. The Bill has seen Parliament split in the middle with a group of Mps, mainly those allied to Prime Minister Raila Odinga, demanding that the Speaker allow the committee of the whole House to revisit the matter and delete the clause terming it unconstitutional.
The Speaker said he will deliver a ruling tomorrow on whether the Committee of the whole House will be allowed to revisit the matter.On Tuesday, MPs allied to G7 ganged up and defeated an amendment to clause 10 (1) of the Political Parties Bill. The clause provides that two or more political parties may form a coalition before an election. But Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (COIC) had introduced an amendment to delete the provision for pre election coalitions.
The stand to delete the provision was supported by MPs allied to Raila led by Olago Aluoch, John Mbadi and Ababu Namwamba. The MPs said such a provision will open the gate for party hopping and that it contradicted Article 108 (1) of the new constitution. The group has insisted that the clause permits party hopping by providing that only what one is required is to give a 14 days notice. The Mps have said the clause contravenes Article 85 (a) of the constitution which says anyone who wishes to move from a party to another should give a 3 months notice.
However, Mps allied to Uhuru, Ruto and Kalonzo have stood to their ground saying the House had already taken a decision to permit both pre and post election coalitions and the matter cannot be revisited at this stage. The MPs, led by justice minister Mutula Kilonzo, his metropolitan counterpart Njeru Githae, Isaac Ruto and Charles Kilonzo have argued that only President Kibaki can now return the matter to the House after he receives the Bill from the Speaker. Mps are now waiting with bated-breath for the Speaker's ruling.
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