Bipartisan Talks Progress
The Bipartisan Dialogue Team is now exploring various ways to move forward with the talks, this is according to the committee chairman Otiende Amollo.
This is after the team excluded an executive order constituting the talks citing the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the Building Bridges Initiative Constitution (Amendment) Bill, which stated that the President cannot initiate constitutional amendments through a popular initiative under Article 257 of the Constitution.
“You remember that the Supreme Court held in the BBI case that no amendment can be initiated at the Instance of the President and for that reason we recognize that to the extent that some of those issues have been raised by the President in Parliament and also through these talks then we would stand in danger of negate our work,” the Rarieda MP said.
According to the Rarieda member of parliament, some of the issues to be discussed were raised by President Ruto hence the Executive Order would scuttle the process.
They will reconvene on Monday, May 15, to consider whether to take the parliamentary route or an alternative approach that does not require a formal constitution.
The team had earlier negotiated and signed the framework on how they will move forward with the talks, it comprised the structure i.e. secretariat, experts, and technical teams.
According to Amollo, both teams tabled their issues on Wednesday as follows; Kenya Kwanza presented by Senate Majority Leader Bonny Khalwale wants the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries (IEBC), the realization of the two-thirds gender rule in the National Assembly, the entrenchment of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) in law and the Constitution, and entrenching the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) and the Senate Oversight Funds in the Constitution.
Azimi One Kenya on the other hand wants the cost of living discussed as a top agenda, they also want an audit of 2022 presidential election results, and reconstitution and restructuring of the electoral commission.
Tags: Kenya Kwanza William Ruto Signstv Otiende Amollo Bipartisan Talks
