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{
    "id": 559819,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/559819/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 220,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Chairman. The concern I want to raise is that I want to call on you to make a ruling on this issue. We have very clear roles under the doctrine of separation of powers. A growing concern which I raised last week, and which other Members have raised, is that we now have legislation by the Executive through the back door. Hon. Temporary Deputy Chairman, I was listening to Hon. A.B. Duale as I was coming here and he spoke very well about the role of the Whips. Since Jubilee has the tyranny of numbers, there is absolutely nothing to stop it from persuading, first, its Members and even all of us to pass the law ab initio . When you have a situation where we have come into the House, we have persuaded one another across the House. For a law to pass, it means that we have persuaded one another both in Jubilee and in CORD, and then the President gives a very long list of amendments. That is legislation through the back door. I had requested last week that you give us direction. The direction that I want to seek is how that veto power of the presidency can be exercised. Secondly, to what extent must it be exercised? I am very serious about this. For instance, if we have all passed a law and the President exercises the veto power over the entire law, will that be legal? Will it be procedural? I do not want to go to the issue of the Constitution, because I listened to you carefully and you said that you do not want to make a ruling on the Constitution. I am, therefore calling on your good office to make a ruling on the procedure. It does not stop us from proceeding as we are doing, but it will help posterity. As we conduct this procedure, I know, for instance, that the whole House can pass a law and the President can amend the entire law. Then we should change our system and let the President come here and pass law."
}