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{
    "id": 34944,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/34944/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 347,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Chanzu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 11,
        "legal_name": "Yusuf Kifuma Chanzu",
        "slug": "yusuf-chanzu"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to support this Bill. I also want to join my colleagues in congratulating the Minister for being part of the major reforms that we are undertaking in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have not achieved much in the democratization process which started a while ago because of some of the aspects that have not been addressed, particularly an issue like this one. But I really like the aspect of the code of conduct in this Bill. What has happened in this country has been the aspect of enforcement and I am happy that we have been able to reform the Judiciary. This is because there have been abuses all over the place, but how to apprehend these abuses has been the problem. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other thing has been the cost of litigation, which I think we have also addressed. I would like to take this into account because there will be those who will be aggrieved. Not everybody will be able to afford taking certain matters, which are very important, to the levels where they should be. It has been a problem to just file a case. This has caused serious financial problems. I hope you will be able to take that into account as you do this good job that you have initiated. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there will be need for a lot of discipline, tolerance and maturity. This is because I believe in stronger parties. We believe in parties which can be strong and people can join. That is the reason we cannot even fund things like churches through the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). When people believe there is money, they want to form churches. In fact, it is very disappointing. This time I have told my people in the constituency that I cannot be involved in harambees to raise money to buy land for churches or mosques. When you see somebody saying that it is good that we have liberalized because people can have parties, I do not believe in that. Strong and progressive economies do not have parties where people keep on hopping around. For example, in Britain we can talk about the Labour Party and Conservative Party. They have been there for many years. Germany is a strong economy because people like to be identified by their parties. So, I really support this Bill. By strengthening political parties, people can vote in numbers which are also reasonable. In this Parliament, you will find a single person in a party and he says that he wants to turn round and lead many people. I think that is not the democracy we are talking about. I think we should be sensible. For example, if I register a party and go and convince people in Vihiga to vote for me in Vihiga alone and then I come back here and say that because I have a party I can run the whole of this country, that is not proper. I see some of them also masquerading around. They have not even relinquished the membership of their old parties yet they want to join others. I think this is an offence according to the Bill. That is why I believe that this Bill should have been in place much earlier. I was looking at this transitional area and imagining some of the people we have in this country. With due respect, they have not relinquished membership of the party they belonged to in 1963. I do not know what has happened. So, I think you should also have put in these transitional clauses here--- There are people who have been on different parties since 1963. They have been in almost ten parties. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the last thing I would like to address is what I have seen happening in the previous two elections. By the end of the day, we elect a leader who you all must accept. But without a strong document like the one that we are debating today, with a strong code of conduct and discipline, come the last minute everybody will jump, collude, form small caucuses and now take leadership from the rest of the people."
}