HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 225149,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/225149/?format=api",
"text_counter": 211,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kajwang",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 164,
"legal_name": "Gerald Otieno Kajwang",
"slug": "otieno-kajwang"
},
"content": "When you look at this Bill, you will see that the person who was writing this had an agenda. An officer who is still answerable to the Government pretends that he is at the Commission. So, when there is a conflict between the Registrar and the Commission, the Government will decide who has the power to make that decision. Let me ask you: If the Registrar was to decide that a party will be de-registered, as it is provided later--- I will point that out. If the Registrar was to decide that a party will be de-registered because it is promoting ethnicity or linguistic--- I will come to that. Does the Commission have the powers to tell the Registrar that he or she is not supposed to de- register it? That is the question. If the Registrar was to decide that he/she is going to punish a political party for engaging in electoral violence by de-registering or fining it, what will be the powers of the Commission? Assuming that the Commission decided that a party participated in an election offence, like the one which used a Government helicopter to campaign--- If the Commission says: \"This party has committed an election offence and we are going to punish it\" Then, the Registrar refuses. What will happen? We have to be clear when we are making a law. We have to be very honest with the National Assembly. We were elected here to be very serious with some of these things! If you are going to give those powers to the Commission, give it to the Commission. If you are going to create an autonomous Registrar, then let us create an autonomous Registrar. We should then define his powers and give them to him. But do not confuse us with big English words like \"operational autonomy\". Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if I may move on, I can show you that this Bill needs to go back to the Departmental Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs, so that they can look at these things. Those are people who are competent. We have very good lawyers there. Many others can attend their sessions and give their views. They will tell you that this definition is the beginning of trouble for political parties. Instead of giving us joy that we are now getting a new thing and we are going to have political parties that are operational, we are beginning with a problem. Secondly, Clause 4 says that the Registrar shall keep and maintain the register containing the list of registered political parties. So, who is going to keep and maintain? This Bill is giving the powers to the Registrar. But this Bills also says that the Registrar shall be within the Commission. So, from the word go, throughout this Bill, there is a conflict between two independent and autonomous institutions. It must be solved quickly before we even decide to vote on this. On Article 6, there is also the prohibition of ethnic and religious parties. It is good to say these things; that a party is ethnic or a party is religious. But what is an ethnic party? Does it mean that if one party has Mr. Otieno Kajwang, Prof. Olweny, Mr. Weya and Archbishop Ondiek, it is an ethnic political party? What is the meaning of this thing called \"ethnic political party\"? You know, we cannot just make laws just because people are shy of talking about these things. You cannot intimidate us to pass a law which, tomorrow, somebody will go to court and nobody will define what an ethnic party is. What is this party called \"ethnic party\"? We must say clearly that if one of the objects of a party is to promote Kikuyu hegemony, that is now \"an ethnic party\". If it is Luo supremacy, then you say: \"No! No! This is now a political party.\" If it is christian fundamentalism, 808 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 19, 2007 you say: \"This one is now a political party.\" But merely because the members are Otieno Kajwang, Ondiek, Weya and Olweny does not make it an ethnic party. Unless I did not learn English. But you see, the meaning of an ethnic party cannot be equated with the names of people who are members of the party. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, what is this thing called \"the age\"? That is a party that is founded on age. If members of a party are 50 years and above, is it founded on age? If they are 18 up to 35 years old, is it founded on age? Unless the party itself says: \"One of the objects of this party is that it will be for the youth between 18 and 35.\" That is now a different matter. But we do not just ban these things. I have seen some very \"big\" English there. If you look at Clause 16(1)(a), it reads: \"If founded on corporatist!\" I do not know what that means. There is something even in Clause 6(1)(a), which reads: \"It is founded on ethnic, professional, religious basis or which seeks to engage in propaganda!\" I do not know that even the word \"propaganda\" has now even become an English word. But even if it was, what is it? What is this thing called \"propaganda\"? If you do not want propaganda, then do not join politics. That is because politics is propaganda as far as I am concerned. What else is it? You are trying to persuade somebody to join you. You are trying to lure somebody to join you. Is that not propaganda? We are good! You know our colour is nice! You know this is how we treat people! Is that propaganda? If it is not, then what is? The flower never dies! Is that not propaganda? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is civil society language. Civil society is going to destroy this country, if we are not careful. The flower withers! Orange Democratic Movement orange! Hiyo ni propaganda yote ! You cannot outlaw propaganda in this country. When will you decide, assuming that the Registrar was to decide that it is founded on propaganda? So, how will the Registrar decide that because you went and shouted ODM orange: \" Hiyo ni propaganda and so, I de-register you!\" You know I am an idealogue of propaganda! So, are you going to de-register me? We should be very careful with some of these very serious matters, which we are talking about. Further, there is Article 9, which talks about participation of members in a party. First of all, the age limit of participating in a party is 18. Who said that we must be 18 years of age before we identify our party? What about young brigades of our party? What about the youth movement of our party? Where are you going to get the members when they get to 18 years, if you did not start inducting them into party policies at school and teach them about political parties? We are going to introduce this Bill in our curriculum in our schools, so that our children can know the meaning and purpose of a political party. They should also know what they do and what they cannot do. That is what we used to learn in civic education when we are in Standard III, IV and V. What has happened now that we must fix the age at which you must participate in a party at 18 years? We used to shout Uhuru! Uhuru! when we were in Standard IV and V. Was that participating in a political party? What was so unlawful about it? Let us not just make laws in some fashion - as if it is a vision to be elected a president! You can say anything."
}