By DENNIS ODUNGA
Cord leaders on Thursday called for the withdrawal of the gender parity Bill, which is before Parliament.
The
coalition leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula
said the Bill — which postpones indefinitely the implementation of the
one-third gender rule — was unconstitutional.
They instead invited the government for talks on how better to deal with the matter without reversing constitutional gains.
“Jubilee
should reason with us to find a way to comply with the constitutional
provision. We have the will on our part to see the constitution
implemented to have equitable representation both at the national and
counties,” Mr Odinga said.
He spoke at the Serena Hotel, Nairobi, during a forum organised by the Centre for Multiparty Democracy to lobby Kenyans to support the two-third gender constitutional requirement.
The forum was also attended by former presidential candidate, Ms Martha Karua and former MP Julia Ojiambo.
Mr
Musyoka said implementation of the constitution was not negotiable and
it was wrong for the government to think that they were doing women a
favour by granting them their constitutional rights.
The constitution requires that not more than two-thirds of elective posts in the country be made up of one gender.
The
Attorney-General Githu Muigai has called for extension by one year of
the August 27 deadline, by when a Supreme Court ruling required
Parliament to have drawn a Bill implementing the gender rule.
Mr
Musyoka faulted leaders pushing for the abolition of the position of
women representatives and nominated seats, saying they did not have
interests of the country at heart.
“One wonders if such
leaders care about their own mothers, sisters and daughters. Women
deserve what is written in the constitution,” said the former
vice-president.
He appealed to Kenyans to support the
Okoa Kenya initiative, saying it was meant to ensure the constitution is
upheld to the benefit of all Kenyans as opposed to the current
situation where the government is selectively applying the law.
Mr
Wetang’ula (Bungoma, Ford-K) said the Bill sponsored by National
Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee chairman Samwel Chepkonga
(Ainabkoi, URP) is bound to be defeated.
He said
majority of the legislators are opposed to the idea of indefinitely
postponing the realisation of the two-thirds gender rule.
Mr Wetang’ula said Parliament would have to approach the matter from a bipartisan angle without being swayed by party positions.
“This
is not about Cord or Jubilee. We must support women regardless of party
affiliations because they are demanding for a constitutional right,” he
said.
He added, “The constitution does not bestow
privileges on people but rights that must be respected. We must strive
to expand on the rights and not diminishing them.”
Ms
Karua challenged President Uhuru Kenyatta to lead the war against those
plotting to mutilate the constitution that Kenyans overwhelmingly voted
for.
“Parliament and the executive can’t choose which
part of the constitution to adhere to. We must unite as Kenyans and
demand for full implementation of the constitution.
The
Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) has also
called for the withdrawal of the Bill to pave way for consensus-building
on the best way forward.
DAILY NATION.
DAILY NATION.