NASA leaders at a past meeting. [PHOTO/Tuko]
Cracks in the National Super Alliance (NASA) can no longer be hidden after Wiper came out to complain over being shortchanged.
The party's MPs were in disagreement with their affiliate legislators over the list of NASA nominees to the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC).
The strong division prompted a heated debate on the floor of the National Assembly as was the case when NASA presented its leadership list a few weeks ago.
Borabu MP Ben Momanyi said the list was an unconstitutionality and claimed that his party (Wiper) had been overlooked.
This was after Majority leader Aden Duale listed ODM’s Aisha Jumwa (Malindi), Homa Bay Women Rep Gladys Wanga (ODM) and Vihiga Senator George Khaniri as the opposition coalition's representatives to the Commission.
Momanyi said that though Wiper qualified as a parliamentary party with at least five per cent of the house membership, it had been shortchanged by being left out of the list, something he said was a violation of the Constitution.
“Under this law, Wiper has a right to demand a slot in the PSC. We cannot have a situation where two people decide these positions, and do so in disregard of the coalition agreement that guides NASA,” said Momanyi.
His sentiments were supported by Jubilee's Duale who urged the House to protect Wiper from the 'unfair treatment' it was getting from ODM.
“We cannot bring party dictatorship to the floor of the House. This is a serious constitutional issue that has been raised and we should not sit back when one party is being suffocated by its bigger brother,” said Duale.
“We are asking you to look at the constitutional issue raised and declare that a party known as Wiper, which is a parliamentary party as per our definition in the standing orders, needs to be represented in the Commission,” he said yesterday.