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Sunday, October 17, 1999

Nassir: Extend Moi term


By SUNDAY NATION Correspondent

The term of the current Parliament should be extended to allow MPs to review the Constitution, Cabinet Minister Shariff Nassir proposed yesterday.

Doing so, he said, would allow for a "conclusive" discussion on the country's laws.

Mr Nassir also called for the scrapping of Inter-Party Parliamentary Group saying because it had not lived up to its purpose. He said: "Sisi Kesho tunakwenda kuvunja IPPG na tuanze tena. (""We are going to disband IPPG and everything will begin afresh".

Speaking during an inspection tour of projects at the National Youth Service, Yatta, in Machakos district, Mr Nassir said: "There are only two options left for the Opposition. Either they accept the review process to go on in Parliament or we move to extend the sitting until when they are ready."

He dismissed the Social Democratic Party views that the constitutional review be discussed after President Moi's term is over, saying that it was the Opposition that asked for the review process.

Mr Nassir said: "Iko mama mwingine anasema ati constitution ibadilishwe baada ya (President) Moi kuondoka. Aondoke aende wapi?" (There is a certain lady who wants the constitution to be changed after President Moi leaves office. Where do they expect him to go?")

He said if the Opposition continued dilly dallying, Kanu would extend the President's term for 10 years. Mr Nassir said the Opposition was not serious with the review process following the stance they were adopting.

He maintained that the President was elected by the people and wrestling power from him was very difficult, just "like killing a lion".

He wondered why Oposition leaders were only concerned with the President and not other burning issues affecting the country.

He took issue with the media, and cautioned people not to take seriously what was published because, "media houses are just there to make money". He observed that the country could be plunged into chaos if the Opposition took was the country's leadership.

Yatta MP, Francis Wambua who was present, refused to respond to the ministers remarks.

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