Raila Odinga: I will only concede defeat if…

ODM leader and NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga has come out to say he will concede defeat suppose he loses next month, but only if the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission manages to conduct and election that is free, transparent, credible and fair.

In an interview at his home in Karen, Odinga, who came under criticism by Jubilee over interfering with the electoral process and also claims of NASA working with the Judiciary to postpone elections, gave a number of conditions which according to him, would amount to the election being considered free and fair.

The issue of dead voters in the IEBC register has become a key issue in this year’s politics, with the Opposition leader insisting that they be blocked from voting, which would be ‘critical’ in carrying out acceptable polls.

He also stressed on the fact that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is the sole body capable of ensuring that the elections are credible.

With several election observers warning of possible chaos after the elections, the chink on how to prevent such chaos has been associated with how the loser of the elections reacts.

In 2013, Raila Odinga lost to Uhuru Kenyatta, who was able to reach the 50 + 1 mark, prompting the ODM leader to file a petition in the Supreme Court but to no avail. This year, the number of voters has increased and opinion polls suggest a tight race between the two, with the latest one indicating that both have not reached the winning mark.

Both NASA and Jubilee were heckled by the crowds when they visited their competitor’s strongholds, actions which have sparked countrywide criticism from political analysts, saying that both candidates should be given the respect they deserve.