Jubilee drops controversial election law clauses ahead of debate

Jubilee Party secretary general Raphael Tuju with chief agent Davis Chirchir during the public hearing at county hall, of the joint parliamentary committee on Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017, October 5, 2017. /JACK OWUOR
Jubilee Party secretary general Raphael Tuju with chief agent Davis Chirchir during the public hearing at county hall, of the joint parliamentary committee on Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017, October 5, 2017. /JACK OWUOR

Jubilee has dropped a clause that could have allowed non-lawyers to chair the electoral agency.

The select committee on amendments to election laws has also dropped a clause delegating some of the chairman's powers to the vice chair or other IEBC commissioners.

Also dropped, ahead of debate on Tuesday afternoon, was a clause that sought to reduce the quorum at the commission from five to three.

Jubilee MPs were briefed about the decision of the committee in a parliamentary group meeting chaired by

majority leader Aden Duale on Tuesday morning.

Deputy majority Leader Katoo ole Metito told The Star after the meeting that "the committee has endorsed eight clauses out of eleven. The report is being tabled this afternoon."

He said the team has also dropped proposed changes to qualifications of the chair, a post currently held by Wafula Chebukati.

On September 28, Chebukati said the IEBC chairman needs more powers, especially in the election season, so they should not be curtailed.

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The Bill has proposed that it should not be mandatory for the chair to be a lawyer with qualifications of a judge of the High Court.

The committee holds that maintaining IEBC chair as a lawyer helps the commission tackle arising legal issues.

Katoo

said newly elected MPs have been advised the importance of their prolonged presence in the House when the report and the Bill are tabled for debate.

He said the house will capitalise on their 'tyranny of numbers' to pass the Bill latest Thursday.

Parliament plans to approve the election amendment laws by Wednesday evening and Jubilee is seeking to have the new laws assented to by President Uhuru Kenyatta before the end of the week.

According to Order Papers in the National Assembly, the Bill will go to the Committee of the Whole House tomorrow afternoon.

This means debate on the Bills in the Second Reading will happen this afternoon and tomorrow morning.

The Senate will also be debating the Bill in the Second reading stage this afternoon.

Earlier today, Duale said the changes to the election laws are noble and asked Kenyans to read the Bill so they understand instead of relying on interpretations by NASA leaders.

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