Justice & Legal Affairs Committee to meet to consider amendments to political parties bill

There is no Christmas break for members of the National Assembly as, for the second time, parliamentarians have been recalled to consider the controversial Political Parties Amendment Bill.

The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly has invited 16 MPs mostly drawn from Deputy President William Ruto’s camp who proposed changes to the bill.

The committee’s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday ahead of the Wednesday special sitting of the National Assembly.

Deputy Speaker Moses Cheboi postponed debate on the third reading of the bill citing a raft of amendments that required harmonisation not to alter the spirit of the contested Political Parties Amendment Bill, which irked proponents of the bill.

The Political Parties Amendment Bill sailed through the second reading with 116 votes to 68 MPs who opposed it.

The bill has divided Parliament and is shaping up into a mini contest between the pro-handshake team who are pushing for its speedy passage and the TangaTanga team who are opposed to the bill.

It was a showdown in the House at the last special sitting as both camps strived to outwit each other.

The Political Parties Amendment Bill, among other things, proposes that parties seeking to form a coalition political party or a pre-election coalition will be required to deposit an agreement with the office of the registrar of political parties at least six months to the polls.

The bill also proposes either direct nomination or having only registered members of a party participating in nomination of candidates.

The other alternative is indirect nomination that will involve use of delegates in party primaries. The bill states that the registrar of political parties will be involved in preparing list of party delegates.

Proponents of the bill are keen to have it passed by Wednesday and signed into law by the president before end of the year.