Why ODM should boycott Parliament

[JAHAATWACH]

ODM should either go to court and block the re-opening of Parliament or boycott its re-opening. Taking up the government benches is a brilliant idea and I support so long as it is aimed at forcing the postponement of parliament re-opening.

I see a booby trap, a Kibaki booby trap in Bunge next week which ODM and like-minded MPs should be wary. This is the SWEARING IN thing.


ODM and like-minded MPs dont recognize Kibaki as the president nor do they recognize his government hence the wise decision to take the government benches.

I am particularly offended by the section where the MP will be SWEARING ALLEGIANCE TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA, in this case, Emilio Mwai Kibaki who we all know was not the man Kenyans elected as President.

In 1992 when Moi rigged Matiba out, an attempt by akina Anyona to omit the allegiance to the president in their swearing in was thwarted by Kaparo who ruled that it must be read audibly,in whole and signed for one to be considered an MP.

My arguement is that taking the Bible or holy Quran to swear allegiance to Kibaki when the dispute is yet to be resolved will be betrayal of Kenyans for change. I reject it because it is PNU's wild card.

ODM should therefore go back to Kenyans and seek the people's opinion before the re-opening of parliament. ODM can still consult the people through the grassroot branches if licence for public rallies are denied.

[adongo23456]

JAHAATWACH

I am glad you bring this up. Bunge is a key battleground right now. Today I had a good discussion with some comrades in Nairobi who are battling with the same issue of whether the ODM should go to bunge on Tuesday or not.

Some people think the ODM going to parliament to be sworn is a tacit acceptance of Kibaki's imposed presidency. Others feel Kibaki and his PNU hawks would be very happy if the ODM M.P's don't show up. They would have a field day with no opposition, elect a speaker in the same hurried fashion Kibaki was sworn in at dusk and keep the coup plan on target.

Then Nyong'o indicated they would go to parliament and sit on the government side. The folks I talked to said that is OK but it means nothing other than having drama and a shoving match inside parliament. Kibaki has declared himself the president and would care less where anybody sits in the Legislature. He is only there for a day and gone forever.

I will come back to this issue which I think is very important but my suggestion is that ODM should go Bunge take their seats as a government in protest and go to work inside and out of parliament.

Parliamentary elections have been deemed OK. If ODM boycotts parliament they will annoy many Kenyans who think parliament should get to work. That is what Kibaki is hoping for and that is why he called parliament in session two months in advance.

Secondly the ODM should urge their supporters to come out on that day and escort them to parliament. Kibaki will bring his boys and girls in uniform (police and GSU) to do the the same. That is fine.

In my thinking the ODM should offer the Speaker's job to someone from their ranks who is not an M.P. ODM needs every vote of their M.P's and in as much as I think Kenneth Marende is very qualified for the position, it will just take away one ODM vote from the floor.

Also I think ODM should negotiate with the so called Small Parties Parliamentary Group(SPPG) and make a deal with them to give them the Deputy Speaker's job.

Other than that the major criticism for ODM is that they have abandoned the electorate. All their M.P's are in Nairobi except for Najib and people like Shakeel Shabir and a few others. It seems everybody is jostling for the TV cameras. People are beginning to get pissed with them. If they don't get their act together they are going to face the wrath of their own supporters who voted for change not just within the government but also within their own party.

adongo

[kamalet]

Adongo,

Some corrections.

The session on Tuesday carries no requirement on where the government side seats or the opposition. MPs will be required to leave their seats and proceed to the dispatch box and cast their votes for Speaker. Once the speaker is elected, he will call out the MPs one by one to swear them in. Note that allegiance to the president is not necessarily to the person as the opposition learnt in 1992 - it is to the office.

Kibaki did not call parliament early by two months. It is a legal requirement that parliament must have its first session within 90 days of dissolution of the previous parliament. The session on Tuesday has only two items on the agenda, election of speaker and his deputy and the swearing in of MPs. Whilst an MP elect can participate in an election of the speaker, he cannot transact house business until he is sworn in by the speaker. So it is possible for ODM MPs to walk away from parliament after election of speaker and refuse to be sworn in.

Current plan by ODM is to get Marende as speaker then all of them walk out including the speaker -elect who must still be sworn in by the Clerk of the National Assembly.

Tuesday will be an interesting day! What a shame I will not be around to see it all!

[JAHAATWACH]

I want to see ODM and like-minded parties in intense and extensive consultations first with branches then with regional elders,labour movement,civil society and lastly with moderates from other parties.

Secondly ODM should learn who the real adversary is and review its strategy. As things stands, Kibaki has taken the back seat to let Kalonzo do the dirty work by applying his akilina damu.

As a statesman, Raila should now lead from behind and led Ruto take care of Kalonzo with the likes of Bishop Wanjiru trouble shooting.

HE WHO LAUGHS LAST LAUGH LONGEST.

[paulnelie]

MR::::JAHAATWACHHHH
Your are an educated man yet u are a tribalist.Please please please it’s a high time u got out of ur tribal cocoon.You can spasm me if u wish , I don’t give adman. Im MISSY

[pippyza]

they can go to Parliament and swear in but Quote Raila Amolo Odinga as the President of the Republic of Kenya. That´s what they should do

[choachez]

www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=2&newsid=114443

House rules demand that one running for the post of Speaker must get the support of two thirds or 148 of the 222 elected and nominated MPs.

If parties will not have nominated the 12 MPs by voting time, then Parliament is likely to apply two thirds of the 207 MPs-elect. Fresh polls are due in three constituencies.

What do the rules say about an incidence where a speaker cannot be agreed upon. Given the arithmetic and the underlying hardline stances taken by both parties, it is possible that neither ODM nor PNU will be get the requsite numbers needed to elect their prefered candidate.