ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga has denied reports that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) proposals will bring back Imperial Presidency.
According to Mr Odinga, he has fiercely fought for the elimination of Imperial Presidency through the 2010 Constitution, “and will never support a document that brings it back”.
“There is propaganda being spread on the BBI. I have seen the allegations that this draft amendment is bringing back Imperial Presidency. I have been part and parcel of the struggle for reforms and change and I will never be party to any amendment which recreates Imperial Presidency.
Imperial Presidency is a term used to refer to a Presidency that is uncontrollable and that exceeds its constitutional limits.
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In the BBI proposals, The President will be responsible for hiring and firing his Deputy, the Prime Minister and other ministers, which many argue is the return of Imperial Presidency.
“No one is bloating the government by introducing the Prime Minister and the two deputies; some of you were around when we had the Grand Coalition government. Both the Prime Minister and his Deputies were MPs; I was the Lang’ata MP and my salary was that of a legislator,” he added.
An introduction of the office of the ombudsman in the Judiciary was seen as an aim to do away with the independence of the Judiciary, which Raila refutes.
“We explained clearly that the introduction of the ombudsman is basically for the benefit of wananchi and those who want to complain against the Judiciary,” said Raila.
On Sunday, Raila met Governors from Nyanza and Western region, with Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa in Kisumu, in a bid to drum support for the BBI.
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