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{
    "id": 690584,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/690584/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 172,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Onyura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12833,
        "legal_name": "Michael Aringo Onyura",
        "slug": "michael-aringo-onyura"
    },
    "content": "Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. I support the Election Offences Bill. This is a comprehensive tabulation of the various malpractices that occur during elections. Issues of cheating, collusion and conspiracy to breach confidentiality have been addressed. Other issues that have been addressed include impersonation, bribery, violence and intimidation. This reminds of a fraudulent publication which published very misleading information about me during a previous general election. They published false posters purporting that I had defected from a certain party to another – something which cost me an election victory in 2007. If these rules were in place then, those people would be in jail. The inclusion of these things in this Bill calls for proper civic education because a number of the offences listed here may be committed by ordinary citizen out of ignorance. An example is the temptation to vote or register more than once. Therefore, the organs that will be charged with the responsibility of enforcing this law should develop an appropriate civic education programme. I support what Hon. Ochieng’ said. He said that one of the weaknesses is lack of capacity within the regulatory bodies to enforce the law. This aspect should be taken into account to ensure that proper capacity is built within those institutions, so that they can do the job. Regarding the electoral rules and processes, at the stage of developing our parties we should recognise party-hopping as a necessary evil. Political parties in this country are run like personal property. There is need for the threat or risk of losing Members so that party leaders can take the whole process of elections seriously. In any case, if you know that you have picked the most popular candidate in a given constituency, why should you be worried, if I decide to join a smaller party? I would like to see the part that purports to stop party-hopping removed from the statute. The reason is simple and I repeat it: There is no party that has the capacity to run a fair, free and effective party nomination. The resources required for such an exercise are massive. A party will need ballot papers, poll clerks and supervisors as well as people to oversee the logistics involved. Not even The National Alliance (TNA) party has the capacity to run such a process. We should accept that that is a major limitation and see how to address it. With those remarks, I support the Bill."
}