Deputy President William Ruto has proposed changes to the current governance structure to include election losers in the country’s leadership.
Speaking in London where he has delivered a public lecture at Chatham House on Friday, Ruto has appeared to endorse the push for a referendum to introduce changes to the Constitution.
In his address, Ruto has suggested that runners up in a presidential election become the Official Opposition Leader to put the government on its toes while his running mate serves as the leader of Government Business in Parliament.
“Elections in Kenya are a close-run contest. Often enough, the winner and runner-up achieve more than five million votes. The winner ascends to a formally constituted leadership role while the runner-up becomes a virtual stranger in leadership,” Ruto says.
He also proposes the same formula applies in the county level where runner-ups in a gubernatorial election become the official opposition leaders in county assemblies.
“This formula should apply at the county level. I further propose that with the Leader of Opposition taking leadership of the opposition in Parliament, the Deputy President should then take over the Leadership of Government Business in Parliament. This should be replicated with the Deputy Governor at the counties,” he adds.
Ruto further says that failure to create positions for poll losers is the reason why the country has been experiencing post-election violence.
“I believe very strongly that in our politics, IEBC is the least of our problems. We have used IEBC as a convenient ‘excuse’ for those who do not win elections. The problem is the people who refuse the outcome of elections. That is when they run amok. Going forward we should only allow Democrats to participate in the elections,” notes Ruto.
Ruto has in the past dismissed calls for a referendum to amend the Constitution.
This is a ridiculous…
This is a ridiculous preposition where losers are somehow, also winners. Democracy is about winners and losers. Good ideas tremble over the bad ones and majority rule while minorities can be heard. If voters reject a candidate, it’s wrong to impose such a person over the people in some concocted maneuver so the elites can have comradeship of some sorts. According to our Constitution, the people decides – at the polling station with the vote.
This Ruto man is Sick with…
This Ruto man is Sick with Corrupted mind. He should never be Trusted whatsoever.
The man has no idea how such…
The man has no idea how such an idea is a burden on Kenyan tax payers. When you make money by having government tenders awarded to companies you have an interest in, when you go for treatment in Europe, when your children get educated in the US it’s a bit difficult to appreciate how the funds used to support this opposition structure could have been used to provide services to the suffering Kenyans instead.
Bure kabisa
mkrito angefaa kusema, kazi…
mkrito angefaa kusema, kazi zigawanywe ili kila taifa dogo (micro-nation) liwe serikalini. Kwa mfano, zaidi ya asilimia themanini (80%) ya walio na kazi kubwa katika serikali ni ndugu zetu Agikuyu na Kalenjin. Hili ndilo kosa kubwa sana lililofanywa na Uhuru na Ruto. Jambo hili lisifanyike tena katika nchi yetu.
kutafutia mangaaaa kama rao…
kutafutia mangaaaa kama rao job.Kenya will celebrate when this rao passes on.That day will b made a public holiday especially in central province counties.
By the way Hustler, we are…
By the way Hustler, we are not surprised at any means as this is not your original idea….we have been hearing this first time after the Handshake. This narrative was expressed several ways by the Preso himself and furthermore emphasized that ROA is now in the Government and we late learned that ROA makes 800K per month.
So Dr. Ruto VP EGH come up with your own original idea that will make Kenya a great place in and after 2020. My suggestion concentrate on the Big 4 agenda while pondering the next trip?
Elections are every 5 years…
Elections are every 5 years. You lose, find something else to do. This notion that only job is in government is crippling the civil service. Hope this is not in the referendum.
All politicians should be…
All politicians should be allowed to oppose issues and policies.
Having an ‘Official Opposition’ office is a very primitive and foolish way of looking at life.
Its 2019 people.