The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy will now be sending MPs and Senators affiliated to the political outfit to participate in the countrywide referendum signature collection drive.
An ODM Parliamentary Group meeting held on Thursday at Orange House in Nairobi’s Lavington area and chaired by the ODM party leader Raila Odinga resolved that since the referendum was a people driven process, all party members should support the process to seal the loopholes in the constitution and cushion it from further bastardisation and exploitation by the Jubilee regime.
“That the referendum plane has already taken off and is unstoppable is no longer a subject of debate. ODM legislators will join their Cord family colleagues, the Civil Society, religious leaders and Kenyans of all walks of life in drumming up the support forthe referendum now and during the campaigns for the same,” the meeting resolved.
The meeting also resolved that MPs and Senators work closely with the Okoa Kenya Secretariat to mobilise, educate and marshal support for the initiative.
The meeting also brought shed light on the money and power promised to MCAs by the Jubilee administration which are intended to bribe the county representatives to drop support for the referendum. The party stated that there are no budgetary provisions to facilitate the perks that include car grants and ward offices. The meeting also cautioned Jubilee against intimidating the MCAs.
“There is no budgetary allocation to fund the members of the county assemblies by providing car grants and ward offices being promised by the Jubilee administration. The ODM PG has resolved to talk to the MCAs in a bid to support the referendum and strengthen the devolved units so that enough resources are decentralised for their roles and responsibilities,” the meeting resolved.
Among other issues that the referendum wishes to address include a 45 percent budgetary allocation to counties.
Other issues the meeting resolved to address were reserving 30 percent of all public employments and appointments to minority groups and capping to 10 or 15 percent maximum for any single ethnic group.
“This is to apply at all levels of employment and in every sector and department. All independent contractors doing business with government will also comply,” the Parliamentary Group meeting resolved.
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