By ATHMAN AMRAN
Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua wants President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to demonstrate statesmanship by dissolving the Grand Coalition Government in time for a December General Election.
In an open letter to the principals, Ms Karua said the dissolution of Government was an option given by the recent electoral court ruling.
She stated that the argument that the country needed a Government to facilitate elections was not correct.
"The Government has no role in the elections and once the electoral budget is approved by Parliament the conduct of elections should and must be left to the electoral body," she said.
"May I needlessly remind you that laying a foundation for strict adherence to the rule of law is what will help transform this country and is the key to the fight against impunity. I urge you to lead by example by ensuring that the five-year electoral cycle is respected and adhered to as provided for by the Constitution," she said.
She argued that the provision in schedule six of the Constitution that elections should be held after the end of term of the current Parliament should not be used as the basis for a 2013 election.
extend term
"Term of Parliament must be construed to include the election period as is the practice world over, and has been our practice," Karua said.
She said the current Parliament will serve its full term with a December election date by virtue of Article 102 of the Constitution, which stipulates that Members of Parliament will serve till the date of elections.
"We must also take into account that we as parliamentarians received full pay for the month of January 2008 and therefore December date gives us a full five years," she said. She claimed that there is always a temptation for an incumbent to extend the term of office when the end beckons.
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