Thursday 29 July 2010

Vote No on August 4th - Kenyan Proposed Constituion - Referendum

Here is my study of the Proposed draft. My basis for voting no is
twofold - for reasons in the constitutional draft and for reasons
around the draft (i.e. the constitution debates ongoing as concerns
the draft, the process to which we came to have the current draft)

Reasons In the Draft

I have compared the Bomas draft, The harmonized draft of Nov 17 2009
and the Proposed draft of May 2010. The changes (ommisions, deletions
or additions) made to the previous drafts to come up with the current
mostly seem to have negative implications or results. The Proposed
draft is therefore an inferior document to the other two. I have made
my comparisons up from Chapter One till the Bill of rights

(For activists of Life it is important to look at the "Right to life"
in the Bomas draft and compare it to "the Right to life" or abortion
clause in the Proposed draft.)



Reasons Surrounding the draft


Most of the changes made above were made on recommendations by various
groups with vested interests e.g. the international community, the
church, the MPs, women rights activists, professionals. After these
changes have been effected none of these groups have come out openly
to declare "we recommended this addition or deletion for reason a) b)
and c) please support or decline the draft in solidarity with us".
These groups have chosen to "hide behind" the COE who claim total
responsibility for the changes. One wonders why the COE would write
the Harmonized draft in Nov and have various re-thinks about the
contents in May to come up with the Proposed draft - not possible
...not logical... not the case.

So long as these groups keep their agenda hidden then Kenyans should
reject the draft on the basis of lack of accountability and
transparency. Kenyans can't afford to be taken to the poll always on
"authorless drafts" - to date no one has claimed authorship of the
2005 Proposed draft ... the same might just happen to this draft.

I hope you have the energy to read the other chapters using my
methodology of comparison... I am tired of everything that is going on surrounding
the constitution ...the lies on both sides, the hate speech, the cover up ...,most
of all I think Kenyans are being conned - I am too tired to go on
reading it.

Enjoy my comparisons below

Regards


JP




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