CORD PRESS STATEMENT
The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) today 7th June 2016 held its 2nd Parliamentary Group meeting of the year at the Wiper Democratic Party headquarters in Nairobi.
The meeting which was attended by over 100 members of parliament from both the Senate and National Assembly was graced by Co-Principals Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga and Sen. Moses Wetang’ula.
The other Principal H.E. Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka is out of the country and addressed the meeting via live video link from Beijing, China.
A number of legislative issues were discussed as well as matters that are of national importance.
The meeting resolved as follows:
1. That electoral reforms are critical to the future stability of the country and are the only way for the country to avoid the “curse of elections” in Kenya where, in the past 25 years, almost every presidential race has been marred by violence; the worst one being in 2007-2008. In this regard, CORD will remain focused on reforming the electoral landscape ahead of 2017 elections.
2. The Coalition expressed lack of confidence in the Parliamentary path of reforming the IEBC. CORD will support a process outside Parliament, along the lines of the Serena talks of 2008 but which will end up in Parliament for debate and approval.
3. CORD expresses deep concern at the fact that the National Assembly failed to approve the two-third-gender rule that is critical to women’s inclusion in public life. The Coalition finds this unacceptable at a time women are making great strides elsewhere with the case of the US, where Mrs. Hillary Clinton has won the Democratic Party ticket to seek the presidency in November. At the same time, at least four out of eight applicants for the UN Secretary General position are women.
4. In this regard, CORD resolves to put together a caucus to engage with players across the political divide to arrive at an acceptable formula that will see the two-third-gender rule realized.
5. Yesterday, the courts upheld CORD’s long standing argument that demonstrations, picketing, protests and presentation of petitions to public officers are protected by law and enshrined in the Constitution. Yet police have brutalized, beaten, maimed and killed protestors.
6. CORD condemns in very strong terms the seeming ethnic profiling that is being applied by police in handling the protests. Protestors have particularly been targeted in Kisumu, Migori and Homa Bay.
7. In this regard, CORD resolves to begin civil and criminal proceedings against individual police officers who have beaten, brutalized, shot and killed protesters in recent days.
8. The Coalition also resolves to institute similar civil and criminal proceedings against the Inspector General of Police Mr. Joseph Bionet and the Nairobi County Commander Mr. Japheth Koome individually and personally for the brutality meted on and murder of the protestors.
9. That a pathway to dialogue on IEBC ought to be structured. That any such structured meeting will be at the highest level and that the principals of CORD will nominate those who will engage in the dialogue, reporting to the principals.
10. That CORD is going to withdraw the authority of its members in the Justice and legal affairs committee and directs them to stop any farther engagements in that committee.
11. Finally, that all members of the CORD coalition withdraw from the bi-Partisan Parliamentary process on IEBC championed by a cross section members of parliament.
SIGNED BY SENATOR JAMES ORENGO
HON DR ESELI SIMIYU
CORD COALITION CO-CONVENORS
7TH JUNE 2016.
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