CORD warns of 2017 chaos if reforms aren't implemented

From left are CORD leaders Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga, Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, Co-chairman Johnstone Muthama and other officials addressing the media on IEBC issues. They asked the outgoing commissioners to vacate office before any process towards electioneering is done. This was at Capitol Hill office yesterday, on 08/12/2016. [PHOTO; JENIPHER WACHIE/Standard].

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) has warned that peace in 2017 will only be guaranteed if the polls are free, fair, credible and transparent.

Led by CORD principals Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka, the leaders claimed there was a plan to rig next year's elections and warned that this would plunge the country into chaos.

The leaders said they would only accept a clean voter register audited by a reputable international firm, and demanded the immediate exit of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) senior officers who resigned in October.

The two leaders were speaking at Capitol Hill yesterday when they made fresh demands concerning the commission. Key among them is the immediate vacation of retired IEBC chairman Isaak Hassan and nine commissioners from office pending recruitment of the new team.

CORD argues that the continued stay in office by the nine officials is a violation of the law and reneges on the spirit of the formation of the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee on IEBC.

"The retired commissioners must stop any activity or engagement in the name of IEBC forthwith and new commissioners must assume office on or before December 23 this month," said Kalonzo in a statement on behalf of CORD.

The Opposition leaders wondered why the commissioners were still in office and participating in the procurement of ballot papers, yet the Election Laws (Amendment) Act reduced the number of commissioners from nine to seven.

They accused President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Jubilee administration of delaying the recruitment of new commissioners, adding that there were indications that the 2017 elections could be rigged.

Raila said there was no electoral commission in place and the secretariat should not purport to procure any electoral technology as such a move would be illegal and unconstitutional.

 ELECTORAL EQUIPMENT

"The new law provides for seven commissioners. As far as we are concerned, there is no commission, Anything that the secretariat is doing, including procurement of electoral equipment, is illegal," he said.

The Opposition is also demanding that any awarding of tenders with respect to the 2017 elections must be cancelled or frozen until new commissioners take office and all systems are put in place.

Raila claimed tenders for next year's elections were being awarded in a questionable manner and without following the law.

While maintaining that there must be only one voters' register to be maintained in a public web portal for inspection by members of the public, the former premier claimed that Jubilee was hesitant to select their team of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) experts.

"IEBC is in a mad rush to deal with all the contracts and the award of tenders almost as an exercise of looting after a combat and an array of hostilities. But the fact of the matter is that the stage is being set for election rigging before new commissioners are appointed," said Kalonzo.

Insisting that no elections will be held outside the Constitution, the Opposition leaders said the Government must bear responsibility for any threat to peace, law and order in case of violence after the elections.