Speaker Kenneth Marende put off sitting until next week and said he
would meet Mr Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki in an attempt to unlock
the impasse which threatens the life of the House. Without a House
Business Committee, which is chaired by the leader of Government
Business – traditionally the Vice-President – no business can be
transacted in Parliament and MPs would have to be sent home again.
Earlier, some ministers, unaware that the Cabinet meeting had been put
off, were informed by security officers at State House of the
postponement at 10am. The Presidential Press Services (PPS) later sent
a statement explaining that Cabinet had been rescheduled.
A Cabinet meeting scheduled for today (Thursday) morning was postponed
in order to allow for consultations in support of efforts to complete
formation of the House Business Committee, the statement said. The
President has written to the Speaker informing him that he had
nominated Mr Musyoka.
But Mr Odinga, also saying he was writing on behalf of the Grand
Coalition Government, wrote to the Speaker informing him of his own
nomination as both leader of Government Business and chairman of the
committee. The committee is the engine of Parliament and no debate and
no laws can be made without it.
If Parliament votes against it, then it cannot be formed before the
expiry of six months. The Constitution says if Parliament does not sit
for three consecutive months, it stands dissolved, which would create a
catastrophic constitutional crisis because there is no electoral
commission to conduct an election.
While Mr Musyoka stakes the claim to the two positions in his capacity
as the principal assistant of the President, Mr Odinga is seeking to
take over the seats on grounds that as the coordinator and supervisor
of Government affairs.
In its statement, State House said President Kibaki had appointed Mr
Musyoka to the two jobs and that he started performing his duties on
Tuesday when he tabled in the House President Kibaki's speech. In his
letter, Mr Odinga said he was the rightful leader of Government
Business and the chair of the committee.
Third time
Thursday's postponement of the Cabinet was the third in three weeks.
Last week, Cabinet failed to meet after Mr Odinga wrote to the
President asking for postponement to give way for a session of the
Permanent Committee on the Management of the Grand Coalition.
The week before, the meeting was not scheduled because the winners of
the schools drama festivals were being received by the President, an
annual tradition. But it may well be that the meeting was put off due
to the hostility in the coalition at the time.
On Thursday, a majority of PNU and its affiliated parties MPs who spoke
in Parliament said the Constitution gives the President power to decide
who should lead government business and that Mr Musyoka should continue
holding the position.
However, ODM MPs said President Kibaki unilaterally made the decision
without consulting ODM and Mr Odinga, contrary to the National Accord
which created the Grand Coalition Government. Mr Marende ruled that the
appointment lay with the Executive and since it was a coalition
government, President Kibaki and Mr Odinga should consult speedily and
resolve the impasse.
The office of the Speaker is ill-equipped to advise and determine to
the Executive arm of government how to handle its affairs, Mr Marende
said. He said his office could also not determine for political parties
how to run their affairs.
A number of MPs led by Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Agriculture's
William Ruto and Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto called for fresh elections if
political wrangles continued.
Daily Nation
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