Revenue body says March 2013 poll will disrupt budget 'adversely'

A powerful commission charged with distributing revenue between the central and county governments wants the General Election held in December.

In its submissions to the Parliamentary committee charged with overseeing the implementation of the Constitution, the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) warned that a March 4, 2013 election date would disrupt the budget process for the national and county governments “very adversely".

“Holding of the General Election in March 2013 will mean that the new national and county governments will not own the 2013-2014 Budget process which will be underway when those governments come into office,” CRA chairman Micah Cheserem told the meeting held behind closed doors Tuesday.

The Commission had been invited to appear before the House committee and give its views on the election date.

The meeting was attended by Finance minister Njeru Githae and his Permanent Secretary Joseph Kinyua, IEBC commissioners led by chairman Ahmed Isaack and the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) led by its chair Charles Nyachae.

Mr Cheserem cited the budget cycle and the possibilities of delays in the election of the next president and the formation of national and county governments to argue the case for a December 2012 election date. 

“We therefore recommend that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should be convinced to reconsider the election date and bring it forward to December 2012,” Mr Cheserem suggested.

IEBC recently announced its intention to conduct the next election on March 4 next year, sharply dividing the political class.

Whereas President Kibaki and several cabinet ministers and MPs have publicly supported the date, a section of the political establishment led by Prime Minister Raila Odinga have demanded that the polls be held this year. 

Mr Odinga, while declaring support for a December election date said it was selfish for the term of the current government to be extended for several months.

“The PM feels March elections will prolong the life of the current administration and the Parliament while cutting short the life of the next by several months. This, in the PM's view, is self serving and unjustifiable,” a statement released by Mr Odinga’s office said.

He has also argued that a March 2013 date would disrupt education and farming activities.

Mr Cheserem argued that it will not be possible for the next Parliament and the county governments to participate in the budgetary processes if elections are held in March 2013 given the strict timelines set out in the Constitution regarding preparations for the national budget.

“The Minister for Finance, renamed Cabinet Secretary in the new Constitution, is required to submit the Budget to the National Assembly in April. The Budget Committee of the National Assembly is required to seek public views on the Budget in May and makes its recommendations to the National Assembly in June,” he pointed out.

He also warned that there may be little time for the next president to appoint a new cabinet secretary in charge of Finance to take charge of the next budget if elections are held in March 2013.

“The timing of appointing a Cabinet Secretary for Finance may be as late as June 2013 assuming there is a second re-run for the presidential elections.

"This will be very late for him or her to be involved in the 2013/2014 Budget process,” he argued.

He also cited possible delays in the establishment of the next parliament and new county assemblies to scrutinise the 2013/2014 budget as required by law.

“The process of nominating members to fill the special seats in all the county governments will most likely be a long drawn out process. The vetting for the County Executive for Finance may therefore be delayed up to June 2013 in some county governments,” he stated.

“This will be very late for the new County Assemblies and the new County Executives to begin getting involved in the 2013/2014 Budget process."