Fida now moves to block MPs over gender rule

Fida lawyer Eunice Lumallas. Photo: Kelvin Karani, Standard

Women lawyers have lodged a fresh bid to stop the reconvening of Parliament over failure to meet the two-thirds gender rule.

Through lawyer Eunice Lumallas, Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida) wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) stopped from presenting a list of elected members of both the National Assembly and Senate for swearing in unless they meet the two-thirds gender threshold.

“Fida is concerned that the 11th parliament deliberately failed to put in place legislation to ensure no single gender is more than two-thirds in all elective seats and allowing IEBC to present a list, which does not comply with the rule is null, void and unconstitutional,” said Ms Lumallas.

According to Fida, the number of women elected to both houses does not constitute one third of elective positions which means the houses cannot legally convene to transact any business.

Out of the 290 elective positions for the National Assembly, only 23 women were elected while the Senate had only three women elected out of 47. The lobby groups argued that even if you add the 47 elected women representatives, the total does not reach 117 members required to reach the one-third threshold.

Lumallas argued that the constitutional deadline for passing two-thirds gender rule had passed and that MPs disregarded a High Court ruling on the issue.