Raila Odinga: Parliamentary system best for democracy

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is received by Cord leaders including nominated Senator Janet Ong'era (centre) and National Assembly Minority Leader Francis Nyenze (right) at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) when he arrived from London, UK May 3, 2013 ANTHONY OMUYA 

By PETER LEFTIE
Posted  Friday, May 3  2013 at  09:16

 

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called for the adoption of a parliamentary system of government saying it offers Kenya's best solution to tribalism.

Mr Odinga discredited the presidential system saying it was divisive and only served to entrench tribalism and the big man syndrome.

“We need parliamentary democracy where the party with a majority of MPs forms the government. It is the only way through which a person from a small community like the Maasai or Samburu can ascend to power. It is a system which has worked very well in mature democracies all over the world,” Mr Odinga said.

“It is something which needs to be debated here in Kenya as we go forward."

Speaking at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) upon arrival from the UK where he had gone to attend the “Times Africa CEO’s Summit” on investment  opportunities on the continent, Mr Odinga said that Africa was gradually transiting from military dictatorship and one party rule to multi-party system and it is imperative that systems that support democracy are entrenched.

“Africa is moving away from the big man syndrome, the days of Mr president, the big man so that when one runs for the presidency, his community thinks he is our candidate,” Mr Odinga noted.

Mr Odinga and Ghanaian president Johnh Dramani Mahama were the key speakers during the Summit organised by the Times of London.

The former PM also called for reforms in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) saying it could no longer be trusted to conduct a free and fair General Election.

“We had a lot of evidence showing the misconduct of IEBC, even the court said that IEBC should be investigated.  This IEBC must be reformed, Kenyans cannot afford to go into another election with this IEBC,” he maintained.

He also hit out at Supreme Court for expunging the evidence he had adduced to prove that the March 4 presidential election was not free and fair.

“Remember that 800 pages of our evidence was struck out with a stroke of the pen. Then the same court goes ahead to say that there was no evidence, is this justice or injustice,” Mr Odinga wondered.

“When the Chief Justice says he is offended, he should know that there are Kenyans out there who are more offended than him."