Emman Omari
21 February 2002
The secretary-general of the new Kanu will have powers that could place him next in line to the national chairman.
While the duties of the four vice-chairmen are not spelt out in the draft constitution - to be ratified at a joint national delegates conference - the secretary-general has stipulated powers that make the job holder a de facto deputy to the chairman.
The March 18 meeting bringing together Kanu and Energy Minister Raila Odinga's National Development Party delegates is expected to approve the constitution without much fuss.
The new party constitution also proposes a wide range of changes in the party organs and structures.
Although the duties of the first vice-chairman were also not spelt out in the Kanu constitution, by virtue of holding the vice-presidency of the country, the holder of the post effectively became the automatic deputy to the chairman.
For the first time, the role of secretary-general, which was at par with the treasurer and the national organising secretary, is by definitive powers placed ahead.
According to the document discussed at a national executive council meeting chaired by President Moi yesterday, the new powers place the secretary-general above the national treasurer.
It is the secretary-general who will be mandated to circulate to all branches ahead of annual delegates conferences minutes and a statement of party accounts, a job previously done by the treasurer.
The post holder will be responsible to the secretariat, under the national chairman, but his role extends to ensuring that all meetings of the national governing council, the national executive council and the national delegates conference are held on time.
The secretary-general will also be required to summon a national delegates conference in consultation with the national executive committee within three months if the post of chairman falls vacant.
The the national organising secretary and the holder of the newly created director of elections will report directly to the chairman or the secretary-general.
The national executive director - the civil servant of the party, who is appointed by the chairman - will report directly to the secretary-general.
All party organs have been expanded. The national executive committee, which had only 26 members, will now have 23 national officials, two representatives from each province, the Kanu chief whip and the parliamentary group secretary and one representative each from the women's and youth leagues.
All Kanu MPs will now be required to sit in the national governing council. Also included in the council are three top officials from each branch, which has been transferred to constituency instead of district level.
The national delegates conference will be even bigger, comprising 20 delegates from each of the 210 constituencies, national officials and all Kanu MPs.
The constitution proposes to have all national officials elected through secret ballot every five years at national delegates conference.
Other organs include the new presidential nominations council, whose members are also in the national delegates conference. The conference will convert itself to be a nominations council for the purpose of electing a presidential candidate.
The constitution further says the sitting chairman shall be the candidate unless barred by law.
Each constituency and civic ward will have a nomination council which, in effect, adopts a delegates system of nominating party candidates. The council at constituency level will comprise 20 people from every sub-location while at ward level it will be 20 from each sub-location.
Termination of membership, the document states, can be done by public declaration. This, in effect, puts politicians who make such declarations at public meetings on the spot as they risk losing their membership.
The once dreaded national disciplinary committee has been reinstated and will deal with all disciplinary matters. However, no provision for expulsion has been made.
Any person who leaves the party is free to return upon application, it states.
The party retains the name Kanu, the symbol of the cockerel, and the index finger salute, but provisions have been made to allow party organs to decide on slogans and colours of the flag.
The merger clause empowers the national delegates conference to pass a resolution by a simple majority or acclamation to merge with any other political parties.
Any dissolution or renaming of the party requires a 65 per cent vote at the annual or special national delegates conference.
It is proposed that the national executive committee approve all funding from donors and that such funding be approved by the chairman.
The new party proposes to operate a television station, a printing press and newspaper.
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