Poll results our role, Wafula Chebukati tells Raila Odinga
The electoral commission has warned the National Super Alliance (Nasa) over its plan to set up a parallel tallying centre for the August elections.
The commission on Monday said it is the only authority mandated by the law to manage elections in the country.
OWN RESULTS
“For the avoidance of doubt it is only the commission that is allowed under the law to count, tally, collate, announce and declare the results of an election,” Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati said.
“Other actors, including political parties, shall have access to the results within the framework established by the commission.”
ODM leader Raila Odinga had on Sunday said Nasa would tally and announce its own results during the August 8 General Election.
Mr Odinga said he was optimistic that the opposition would kick out the Jubilee Party if the votes were counted correctly and in a credible manner.
REJECTED
But the IEBC, in response, assured all parties that it was taking all measures to ensure that the eventual outcome of the election reflects the will of the people.
“The Constitution, the Elections Act as amended and the attendant regulations provide the procedure for elections results management,
“The commission developed the results management framework, which is publicly available on its website. The framework clarifies the procedure the commission shall follow in ensuring transparency and accountability in election results management,” Mr Chebukati said.
And while addressing religious leaders and community elders in Limuru on Monday, Mr Chebukati said the commission would reject plans by any party to establish a parallel tallying centre.
All party agents, he said, would be given copies of signed result slips for verification and there is no need to have parallel tallying centres.
KIEMS
"What we don't accept as IEBC is everybody announcing results, which may not be verified. Counting votes is the work of IEBC only," he told clerics at the Jumuiya Resort.
Mr Chebukati said the constitution does not provide for parallel tallying meaning any of those centres would be illegal.
He said that by setting up the new integrated election management system (KIEMS), the commission will guarantee greater transparency, accountability and auditability of the results.
He added that the commission was planning to exhibit KIEMS to inform political parties, leaders and the general public on some of the improvements that the new technology had brought in election management.
Mr Odinga had on Sunday told a rally at the Joseph Kang’ethe Grounds in Kibra, Nairobi, that for comparison, Nasa would announce its results as the commission announces its own.
ELDERS
The alliance plans to have a committee of 50 people for every polling station who will act as party agents and voter marshals.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya General-Secretary Peter Karanja warned politicians against dismissing the commissioners before they can start their work.
"This is the only commission we have. They have never conducted another election before," Cannon Peter Karanja said.
NCCK took the elders from various ethnic communities to Limuru to talk peace ahead of election.
Canon Karanja said the elders would go out to preach peaceful campaigns.
