ODM's elections board to manage party nominations

The Orange Democratic Movement will use its elections board to conduct its primaries and not the national electoral agency, ODM National Elections Board chairperson Judith Pareno has said.

Kisumu Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o has in the recent past faulted involving the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in party primaries, arguing that the agency should stick to conducting national elections.

Speaking at Akado Centre in Seme after a forum with locals, Prof Nyong’o said political parties should conduct their primaries and seek redress at the electoral body in case of disputes.

Nyatike MP Edick Anyanga noted that ODM has put in place “an effective National Elections Board consisting of members of high integrity capable of conducting free and fair party primaries.”

“There is no way we can employ the services of IEBC which is still struggling to be perfect. We cannot trust the commission because they may be used to declare unpopular candidates winners so that they are trounced by our opponents in the general election,” Mr Anyanga said.

The MP pointed out that party members should give the National Elections Board a chance to carry out fair polls.

While ODM has rejected using the services of the IEBC in its nominations, the Jubilee Party declared in August that it wants the electoral agency to manage its primaries. 

The Amani National Congress has termed the calls by Jubilee Party mischievous, outrageous, misplaced and an insult to overtaxed Kenyans, saying it is a misuse of public coffers and promising to derail such attempts.

IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba told the Nation that the commission is ready to preside over party nominations if Parliament allocates money for that purpose.

“We are developing guidelines for the nominations and one of the issues to be addressed will be funding of party primaries,” he said.

Mr Chiloba, however, maintains that if resources are expected to come from the commission, then Parliament must approve the allocations.

“We hope that we shall have consensus across the board on how to operationalize the provisions on party nominations,” said Mr Chiloba.