Opposition leader Raila Odinga demands new voter register before 2017 polls

CORD leader Raila Odinga (right) and Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire (left) at the Kisii Sports Club, yesterday. Raila has demanded a new voters' register ahead of next year's General Election. (PHOTO: ERIC ABUGA/ STANDARD)

CORD leader Raila Odinga wants a new voter register ahead of next year’s polls. A new register, he said, will ensure fair play, natural justice and will also eliminate doubts from all players.

Raila also urged his supporters to register as voters and to vote in the forthcoming polls, saying this was the only way to take control of their future.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has demanded a new voters' register ahead of next year's General Election.

Raila said a single verifiable and credible register will eliminate the ghost voters "who are used to fixing outcomes".

"The voter register has to be reconstituted in the interest of fair play, natural justice and to eliminate doubts from all stakeholders," the former premier said in a statement yesterday.

The ODM leader also accused the government of luring Opposition members to create the perception that the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) was weakening.

"We know their game plan is to create an artificial perception that people are quitting CORD for Jubilee. But the reality is that every time someone visits State House, the more they want to stay in CORD," Raila said.

Yesterday, the CORD leader began the countdown to the General Election due in one year by visiting his Nyanza backyard where he also rallied supporters to elect party candidates for all positions in the so-called six-piece voting pattern.

He said those toying with joining Jubilee were losers, arguing the rival coalition's menu is full all the way to 2022.

"New defectors would at best be flower girls for President Uhuru and Deputy William Ruto," Raila claimed. 

The CORD co-principal held an early morning meeting with Gusii leaders, and later attended a burial in Kuria.

The two areas have been showing signals of working with rival ruling Jubilee coalition after a recent visit to State House in which Uhuru hosted Gusii leaders.

In an apparent reaction to recent overtures from Jubilee towards his key allies in Gusii, Raila dismissed the recent visits to State House by a section of Gusii leaders, saying it was the Government's ploy to cover up its failure to deliver election promises to the region.

"August 8 marks the start of the one-year countdown to our second General Election under the 2010 Constitution. We have 364 days to go," Raila said.

"Our best efforts must be focused on ensuring elections that produce a legitimate outcome for future stability and progress while strengthening our democratic process. It is critical that Kenya remains true to the ideals of democracy and we cannot run away from our responsibility in ensuring this.

"As citizens, let us embark on taking our future in our hands by taking up our civic and patriotic duty to vote in the coming elections. We must register as voters through the continuous process even as we pursue processes to ensure the credibility of the voter register and in the end all votes will count and all votes will be counted," he added.

Raila also held talks with Kisii Governor James Ongwae and ODM National Treasurer Timothy Bosire and faulted the Gusii Unity campaigns.