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{
    "id": 657893,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/657893/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 61,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Members, you recall that on Thursday, 21st April, 2016, the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Aden Duale rose on a point of order seeking guidance from the Speaker on the manner of consideration and examination of audited reports of political parties. This was after an observation that the Auditor-General has been submitting reports of political parties to the National Assembly but no examination has been done so far. This was noted as being of great concern as majority of Members are, indeed, affiliated to political parties. A number of Members contributed to the ensuing debate including Hon. Jakoyo Midiwo, Hon. Ababu Namwamba, Hon. Samuel Chepkong’a, Hon. Wesley Korir and Hon. James Nyikal among others. Hon. Members, in most jurisdictions, the need for increased accountability and openness among political parties has grown in the recent past. This has been as a result of, among other things, increased public awareness as well as legal requirement on account of allocation of public monies to these institutions. Indeed, many countries, including Kenya have well established laws and practices that guide the funding and accounting by political parties. Most countries have signed or ratified the 2005 United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) which states that all countries should consider taking appropriate legislative and administrative measures to enhance transparency in the funding of candidates for elected public office and, where applicable, the funding of political parties. In the African context, the overarching guidance comes from the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, which states in Article 10 that each state party shall adopt legislative and other measures to proscribe the use of funds acquired through illegal and corrupt practices to finance political parties, and incorporate the principle of transparency into funding of political parties. More and more countries in Africa offer funding to political parties from the State. Hon. Members, in the Federal Republic of Germany, political parties derive their existence through the Grundgesetz or the Basic Law. Article 21 of the Basic Law provides for the freedom to form political parties to participate in the formation of free will of the people. As a general rule, the political parties so formed are expected to function on the basis of democratic principles and publicly account for their assets and sources and use of their funds. However, a comprehensive legislation, the law on Political Parties, enacted in 1967 and amended in 1994, governs the structure, constitution and financial matters of the political parties. In this case, of interest would be the financial provisions of the law which include:- The political parties are entitled for state funding to the tune of 0.70 Euros for each vote cast in the preceding Bundestag (House of Representatives) election subject to an annual limit of 133 million Euros as per Article 18. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}