In what could spell the beginning of a new political realignment, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale broken ranks with Deputy President William Ruto over the raging debate of referendum that could see the country adopt a pure parliamentary system of government and declared support for Raila Odinga.
The Garissa township MP who is a key pillar in the Jubilee government made the revelations in the backdrop of a heated political contest pitting DP Ruto against Raila Odinga with the DP taking to Twitter in a series of outbursts.
In an interview with Sunday Standard, Duale stated that the presidential system and the hybrid system adopted since independence had largely favored the Mt Kenya region over other parts of the country, resulting in ethnic political polarisation.
“It is time to end this tyranny of numbers where a few communities can come together and form a winning coalition. We must have a governance system where every community has an opportunity to lead this country,” said the Garissa Township MP.
He faulted the presidential system for the culture of political hostility saying that the feeling of political exclusion every electoral cycle would be tackled by shifting to a parliamentary system, where election contest end at the constituency level.
“I pray that as the Building Bridges Initiative submits their report in addressing inclusivity, reducing ethnic politics and war on corruption among other things, they will recommend a referendum to usher in a parliamentary system where both political and economic power will be shared horizontally,” he said.
