Posted by: maximumpowers in Main story July 14, 2013 0 20 Views
Former Prime Minister warns that Cord would marshal supporters to boycott the next General Election if the present IEBC leadership and structures remain in place:
By MERCY MWAI
COALITION for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) has warned that it will boycott the 2017 General Election unless the Independent Electoral and Boundaries commission (IEBC) is overhauled.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga warned that Cord would marshal supporters and members to boycott the next General Election if the present IEBC leadership and structures remain in place, adding that he and CORD will only participate in the election if far-reaching reforms are instituted in the electoral body.
He said: “The country cannot afford to go to any other election with the current IEBC, fundamental reforms and changes need to be carried out. We will withdraw our candidates from contesting because we either have competent elections or we don’t.”
Speaking on his arrival from Australia where he had gone to attend a conference organised by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Raila expressed concern at the manner in which IEBC has been conducting itself and termed it the most corrupt and inefficient electoral commission in the history of this country in the recent past.
Raila who used the ordinary international arrivals section and not the VIP one, claimed that the current IEBC is the most ‘inefficient and corrupt body’ he has ever seen since multiparty system started.
Locked out
Referring to the Makueni by- election scheduled for July 26, Raila claimed that it was clear the IEBC was working closely with Jubilee Coalition to lock out lawyer Kethi Kilonzo from the race.
He accused IEBC of colluding with their rivals to scuttle chances of his coalition winning any election in the country. Kethi, he said, should be allowed to vie in the by-election, adding that the decision of who is going to be the Makueni senator should be left to residents.
Raila charged that it is clear that IEBC wants the country to go back to the old days of single party politics where candidates were forced on Kenyans.
IEBC, he said, should not lock Kethi out on grounds that she is not a registered voter yet in the last election, names of many Kenyans were missing from the register.
Raila said there is no way the commission can issues a clearance certificate to Kethi and then later revoke it through a tribunal.
The former premier said that even in Kibera Constituency, where he voted in the last General Election, most people’s names were missing from the register yet they were registered voters.
In addition, he said that during the appeal of the presidential election at the Supreme Court, the IEBC said it was not sure of the number of voter registers they have in their possession.
“I have a bone to pick with IEBC because it is the most inefficient body in thios country. They are not sure of what they are doing; it is very obvious that they did not know how many voter registers they have,” said Raila.
Persistent criticism
Raila claimed that Kethi’s woes started after she declined to vie for the said seat on Jubilee ticket.
Last week, nominated senator Beth Mugo told Raila off over persistent criticisms IEBC, claiming that he was behind the apparent electoral problems bedevilling the country. She also told off former vice president Kalonzo Musyoka for allegedly misleading Kethi to join politics.
Mugo recalled that in the Tenth Parliament both Raila’ wing of the coalition government then Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)and President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU)agreed on who to pick as commissioners for the IEBC.
According to her, parliament which included both sides of the coalition vetted the commissioners before their appointments.
COALITION for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) has warned that it will boycott the 2017 General Election unless the Independent Electoral and Boundaries commission (IEBC) is overhauled.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga warned that Cord would marshal supporters and members to boycott the next General Election if the present IEBC leadership and structures remain in place, adding that he and CORD will only participate in the election if far-reaching reforms are instituted in the electoral body.
He said: “The country cannot afford to go to any other election with the current IEBC, fundamental reforms and changes need to be carried out. We will withdraw our candidates from contesting because we either have competent elections or we don’t.”
Speaking on his arrival from Australia where he had gone to attend a conference organised by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Raila expressed concern at the manner in which IEBC has been conducting itself and termed it the most corrupt and inefficient electoral commission in the history of this country in the recent past.
Raila who used the ordinary international arrivals section and not the VIP one, claimed that the current IEBC is the most ‘inefficient and corrupt body’ he has ever seen since multiparty system started.
Locked out
Referring to the Makueni by- election scheduled for July 26, Raila claimed that it was clear the IEBC was working closely with Jubilee Coalition to lock out lawyer Kethi Kilonzo from the race.
He accused IEBC of colluding with their rivals to scuttle chances of his coalition winning any election in the country. Kethi, he said, should be allowed to vie in the by-election, adding that the decision of who is going to be the Makueni senator should be left to residents.
Raila charged that it is clear that IEBC wants the country to go back to the old days of single party politics where candidates were forced on Kenyans.
IEBC, he said, should not lock Kethi out on grounds that she is not a registered voter yet in the last election, names of many Kenyans were missing from the register.
Raila said there is no way the commission can issues a clearance certificate to Kethi and then later revoke it through a tribunal.
The former premier said that even in Kibera Constituency, where he voted in the last General Election, most people’s names were missing from the register yet they were registered voters.
In addition, he said that during the appeal of the presidential election at the Supreme Court, the IEBC said it was not sure of the number of voter registers they have in their possession.
“I have a bone to pick with IEBC because it is the most inefficient body in thios country. They are not sure of what they are doing; it is very obvious that they did not know how many voter registers they have,” said Raila.
Persistent criticism
Raila claimed that Kethi’s woes started after she declined to vie for the said seat on Jubilee ticket.
Last week, nominated senator Beth Mugo told Raila off over persistent criticisms IEBC, claiming that he was behind the apparent electoral problems bedevilling the country. She also told off former vice president Kalonzo Musyoka for allegedly misleading Kethi to join politics.
Mugo recalled that in the Tenth Parliament both Raila’ wing of the coalition government then Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)and President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU)agreed on who to pick as commissioners for the IEBC.
According to her, parliament which included both sides of the coalition vetted the commissioners before their appointments.
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