Committees should not work at cross purposes

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) finds itself in an unenviable situation. There have been unrelenting calls for its disbandment, especially from an Opposition that feels it cannot conduct credible elections in 2017.

This follows integrity concerns raised against some of the commissioners. This view is shared by many; civil society and the churches, all of which have called on the commissioners to leave. Initially, the commissioners had indicated they would not give in to calls to leave office but as pressure was made to bear, they softened their stand, seeking assurances for a soft landing before throwing in the towel. What the commissioners are guarding against is the stigma of being dragged through courts once they are out of office.

While granting their wishes would not be hard, doing so could very well be going counter to the Constitution; accountability is not negotiable.

Parliament’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has been collecting views from the public in regard to electoral reforms. Similarly, a joint committee from both houses of Parliament incorporating seven legislators each from the Opposition and the Government was recently formed to work out modalities of reforming the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. When it became apparent the two would be working at cross-purposes, the select committee urged the parliamentary Justice team to stop its work, but there has been no consensus.

Calls by the leader of Majority in Parliament, Aden Duale, for the select committee to be allowed finalise its work are welcome. Since the select committee has only 30 days to finish its work and table a report in Parliament, it is expected that unless they are granted an extension for whatever reasons, the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee will oversee the implementation of their recommendations. The two teams must therefore work not to compete, but complement each other.