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{
    "id": 1375519,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1375519/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 387,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nominated, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Mbadi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Speaker, some people call it winner takes it all, and others call it the feeling and sense of exclusivity and inclusivity. We need to ask ourselves why some Kenyans feel that they belong to this country more than others, especially when elections are conducted. Looking at this Report, I think we are not solving this problem. If we have decided that the presidential system is not working for us, why not go the whole hog – the parliamentary system? Why create systems that are difficult to understand like the one of the Office of the Opposition Leader when we have a presidential system? How would it work? Let us not pretend and lie to ourselves that we are solving this problem. We are not. I am afraid to say that after five years, we will be back to the same discussions. On the issue of electoral management and the team tasked with the responsibility to manage our election, the truth is that in this country, nobody is neutral. All of us vote; at least those who want to. Even the Bishops if given a chance, they would. So, why do we pretend yet we know we are in a divided society? This country is almost split fifty-fifty. For us to have confidence in the IEBC, let us bite the bullet and say that those who are in the Majority and Minority sides should each bring a certain number of commissioners to preside over the election. We will, thereafter, look at where to get the Chairman. We can even appeal to our brothers. Let us not talk about sovereignty if we cannot manage it. Let us accept and ask our partners and friends across the continent to give us someone. If Hon. Obasanjo of Nigeria can come all the way to negotiate and mediate the same way the late Secretary-General of the UN, Amb. Kofi Annan did, why not accept that we cannot trust anyone of us to Chair our electoral commission and produce good results? Let us go that route and have someone from out there to preside over the elections in Kenya."
}