KISII, KENYA: A member of parliament has said CORD will oppose a bill being fronted by leader of majority in parliament Adan Duale that seeks to have Kenya withdrawal from the Rome statute.
Bomachoge Borabu MP Simon Ogari also down played calls to recall parliament earlier from recess than the scheduled September 17 date to discuss the International Criminal Court cases facing presidentUhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy Deputy William Ruto.
He said the constitution is clear that the speaker of the National Assembly Justine Muturi should take over the running of the state in case the president and his deputy are both absent from the country attending the hearing of their cases at the Hague, Netherlands.
Deputy president Willam Ruto’s trial at the ICC is expected to begin on September10 and he is expected to be out of the country for three weeks after his attempt to have a two-week interval hearings failed after the judges rejected the application.
On the hand president Uhuru kenya’s trial is expected to start November 12. However, ICC has scheduled Friday this week for a status conference to discuss Uhuru’s request to be present through his trial that kicks off on November 12 via video link.
The MP said it will not be easy to repeal the Rome statute on the floor of the House given that the international court is an institution of resort whenever crimes against humanity are committed. “We will asCORD oppose any move by the Jubilee government to bring that motion before the House to remove Kenya as a signatory of the Rome statute,” said Ogari.
Speaking to the Standard, Ogari questioned the motive of the proponents of the bill saying they do not have a wider perspective of the reasons for the establishing of the ICC.
“Who know whether we do not need the same court in future and by succeeding in their move to repeal the Rome Statute I believe that will be retrogressive,” he added.
Anxiety has gripped the county over who will run the business of government during the period the two leaders will be out of the country, and the reopening of parliament would provide framework for the operationalization of the constitutional provisions providing the speaker of the National Assembly to act when the president and his deputy will be away.
National assembly majority leader Adan Duale has indicated he is in talks with his Senate counterpart Kithure Kindiki to marshal troops ahead of the impending onslaught on ICC.
Source-standardmedia.co.ke
