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{
    "id": 27710,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/27710/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 244,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Political parties in this country have become a one-man show. Political parties are not owned by constituents and people, but by individuals who can send you out and in at their pleasure. With such a reality, the possibility of a candidate who will come and serve the nation at the highest capacity and has the broad support and mandate of his people, being locked out because of partisan politics and mediocrity within political parties is eminent. Such a person is not allowed democratic space to represent his people or his constituents. I see in this Bill an opportunity for people to introduce clauses, through the back door, which are contrary to the ones which we passed in the Political Parties Bill that this House adopted a few days ago. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when a person is shortchanged by a party, it is not his or her fault. That happens because of the internal tenets and democracy that is lacking in a party. I would like to draw your attention to the mandate that has been given to the political parties in the exercise of their nomination process. It is not explicit that they will invite the Electoral Commission to come and oversee the nominations. The Bill says: “A party, in agreement with the Commission may invite— “That means, in any other order, they might be able to exercise their own form of nomination. That may lead to Members being locked out just because they are not in tune with whoever is the party leader at that juncture. I would like to make a proposal in Clause 22 – and the Minister will have a look at--- We are trying to look at the election of the Speaker of the County Assembly. I would request that a provision be made for a Deputy Speaker’s position. The Bill says that in the event a Speaker resigns in the County Assembly, then a Member of that Assembly would hold brief. What happens if the Speaker of the County Assembly is sick? Does that mean that the County Assembly will always be nominating a Member? I think the position of a Deputy County Speaker would be in order. There are provisions in Section 24 which stipulate that a person is not qualified for nomination as a presidential candidate if that person is a public officer. Exclusions are then made as to who, among the public officers, would not be restricted. They include the President, Deputy President and a Member of Parliament. What happens if a Governor wants to run for Presidency? What happens if a Deputy Governor would want to run for Presidency? I think such provisions should be made. I am trying to look at the threshold of the people who are supposed to nominate a Member of Parliament, a representative of a ward or a senator. The threshold that has been put there would make members run for elections just because they want to go for elections. Some wards do not have 500 voters, especially in the sparsely populated areas. So, when you say that a person to be nominated as a ward representative must have 500 registered voters supporting him, then you are subjecting that person to elections, even before the elections are done. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will now touch on the issue of a person who has participated as a candidate in the nomination or selection of a candidate of a political party, and who shall not be eligible for nomination as a candidate by another political party."
}