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{
    "id": 997233,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/997233/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba North, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Let me appreciate the ruling that you have given. I spoke to this last time and indicated that it is a tricky path that you have to travel in democracy. On one hand, we must strengthen our political parties and, on the other hand, we must also give Members a chance to exercise their constitutional rights of representation, oversight and legislation, which are predominantly done within committees. You have spoken well. This ruling is a challenge even to bigger political parties to exercise internal democracy. That is how parties will grow. When bigger parties are able to exercise internal democracy, then you will not have spinoffs in terms of Independent Members and smaller parties Members because half of those Members belonged to bigger parties. Having said that, there are one or two things that, as we look at the issue of amending the Standing Orders, you did not address and we need to look into it. We are having coalitions, whether formed before or after the elections. First, we are not talking about the intra-coalition issues. That is likely to come up. Secondly, one of the issues that – as we amend the Standing Orders – we need to look into is the issue of proportions. As much as I support the issue of the independence of the independents as smaller groups, it would be unfair for bigger parties to work so hard to come with their big parties to Parliament and then they have representation of two from the smaller parties. That is why I said that it will be fine even if they had a quarter in a committee, which is not possible. So, perhaps, the best that they can have is one slot. However, the other issue will be that when we are amending the Standing Orders, what roles will bigger parties have in terms of picking the 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."
}