Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen said the end game of the People’s Assembly will be to push for a fresh free and fair election within the first half of 2018 or pursue avenues for self-determination for those who believe in democratic constitutionalism/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 8 – The National Super Alliance (NASA) has unveiled the People’s Assembly roadmap that they say will lead to a fresh election in the first quarter of 2018, a culmination of a series of milestones that the coalition has been pushing.
Speaking at Okoa Kenya during the official unveiling of the roadmap, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen said the end game of the People’s Assembly will be to push for a fresh free and fair election within the first half of 2018 or pursue avenues for self-determination for those who believe in democratic constitutionalism.
“The end game of the People’s Assembly for Kenyans is to either return to democratic government by holding free and fair elections,” he said on behalf of the recently unveiled people’s assembly coordinating committee made up of seven people.
“When the people of Kenya gave unto themselves a new constitution in August 2010, their collective hope was that they had buried a political culture where elections were mere periodic rituals and ushered in an enduring era of genuine democratic exercises where their votes count and are counted,” said Ong’wen.
“Electoral theft has become the preferred means of attaining the aim of installing tyrannical rule in Kenya.”
He also raised an alarm accusing companies he did not mention of profiting from bad governance at the expense of democracy and the people.
According to Ong’wen, the People’s Assembly will be held at two levels – county level and national level with the constitutive assembly being held on 12th December 2017.
Among the milestones that have been achieved so far towards the People’s Assembly objectives according to NASA includes consultations with key stakeholders, the successful drafting and sharing of the PA motion with county assemblies, tabling and adoption of motions in the county assemblies.
So far, around 11 County Assemblies have passed the motion even as the Attorney General Githu Muigai said by passing the motion, the Assemblies have in effect handed the power awarded to them by the electorate back to the people.
“By establishing People’s Assemblies, the respective County Assemblies may be deemed to have rescinded their elected representative roles, as they have handed back to the people their sovereignty as initially delegated through Article 1(3). Members of the said County Assemblies may be construed to have vacated their seats, and the attendant consequences thereof.”
The mini Council of the People’s Assembly which was recently held at Maanzoni Lodge and the establishment of the organising Committee forms a crucial part of the roadmap according to NASA.
The coalition now moves to the second level of the milestones with the convention of the Constitutive PA at the national level on Tuesday at an unspecified location.
“The roadmap will steer discussions of people assembly’s at county level then Hold National Conventions of the People Assemblies and hold elections under a new electoral regime within the first half of 2018, failing which a process of self-determination shall be initiated.”
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