CORD leader Raila Odinga on Thursday night claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta threatened to fire National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi if he did not reconvene Parliament to pass the controversial amendments to the Election Laws.
Speaking during a live interview on Citizen TV, the former Prime Minister insisted that the Special Sitting gazetted by Mr Muturi on Tuesday night was illegal.
The CORD chief remarked that the time the notice was issued proved the same adding that: "What Jubilee was doing was very illegal. They blackmailed the Speaker to try and introduce these changes."
"Remember that Parliament had adjourned on Tuesday night at 10 pm and the Speaker himself ruled that the next session would start on January 24, 2017.
"That night the same Speaker was called by the President and told if he does not reconvene parliament, he was going to be sacked. At midnight he was publishing again another gazette notice to reconvene Parliament," Odinga said.
The CORD leader stated that the Thursday Special Sitting was illegal as it was called after Parliament’s working hours.
Mr Odinga argued that the amendments made by Jubilee legislators to the mutually agreed Election Laws were also unconstitutional as the law stipulates that a law which has been passed can only come back for amendments after six months.
"Under the Standing orders a law that has been passed cannot come back for amendments within the next six months, Six months have not elapsed from the time this law came into effect. So what Jubilee was doing was very illegal," Odinga noted.
On Thursday, Jubilee leaders passed amendments to the Election Law which will now allow the electoral body to use a manual system of transmitting results and voter identification.
However, the Opposition leaders are against the provision and have since filed a petition seeking to have the court declare the changes null and void.
