Civil society groups support Nasa stand on poll
Mr Ndung’u Wainaina, the executive director of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) at a past event. Civil society groups support Nasa stand on poll. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The IEBC has filed a petition in the Court of Appeal challenging an April 7 High Court decision that declared presidential results announced in constituencies as final.
- Nasa has threatened to boycott the August 8 elections if the High Court decision allowing announcement of results at the polling stations and constituency level is overturned by the Court of Appeal.
Civil society lobby groups have joined the Opposition in asking the electoral body to withdraw an appeal it filed in the Court of Appeal with the aim of overturning the High Court decision that presidential election results announced by returning officers at constituency level are final.
Addressing journalists in Nairobi after a meeting, representatives of about 16 civil society groups — including International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC), Maendeleo ya Wanawake, Katiba Institute and Grace Agenda — said the appeal by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was in bad faith.
“The Constitution is written in black and white that the final results are announced at the polling station and verification is done at the constituency level,” said ICPC executive director Ndung’u Wainaina.
FILED A PETITION
The IEBC has filed a petition in the Court of Appeal challenging an April 7 High Court decision that declared presidential results announced in constituencies as final, and hence removing secondary tiers like, say, the national tallying centre.
The Wafula Chebukati-led IEBC argues that High Court ruling will be a recipe for chaos.
But the National Super Alliance (Nasa) has threatened to boycott the August 8 elections if the High Court decision allowing announcement of results at the polling stations and constituency level is overturned by the Court of Appeal.
“We were surprised that IEBC appealed against the High Court decision that results announced at the constituency level are final. According to the Constitution, the mandate to announce final results rests with the constituency returning officer,” said Mr Wainaina.
RAISED CONCERNS
The lobby groups also raised concerns about the ongoing auditing of voters register, saying the exercise is being carried out secretly without involvement of key stakeholders.
“The ongoing voter register verification by KPMG is shrouded in secrecy,” he said.
“In the absence of a sole declared and published register to date, one is left wondering which register is being audited by the contracted company. Registration of voters and transparency of the register are once more the subject of controversy,” said Mr Wainaina.
The societies claimed the ongoing auditing of the voters register is unlikely to bear fruit since voters are still verifying their details at various polling stations.
Verification of voters’ details started on May 11 and is expected to end on June 9.
