Political parties rush to meet pre-poll deadlines
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati (left) and CEO Ezra Chiloba. A judge has thrown out a case seeking their ouster. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Wednesday was the deadline to submit their membership lists to the IEBC as provided under the Elections Act.
- Only registered party members will be allowed to take part in the nominations scheduled for between April 7 and 26.
- Wiper Secretary-General Hassan Omar said his party submitted its lists of aspirants early Wednesday.
Registered political parties taking part in the August 8 General Election were yesterday scrambling to meet legal timelines.
Wednesday was the deadline to submit their membership lists to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as provided under the Elections Act. They were also required to submit the lists of all aspirants running for elective positions to the IEBC.
According to IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati, 57 of the 67 registered political parties had submitted their membership lists by midday.
“The commission commends the 57 registered political parties that have delivered their submissions and urges the remaining 10 to present their lists urgently to enable the commission to publicise the information as required by law,” said Mr Chebukati.
The commission’s communication director, Mr Andrew Limo, added: “We will work till midnight if necessary to process all the lists so that nobody complains that they were deliberately left out.”
Only registered party members will be allowed to take part in the nominations scheduled for between April 7 and 26.
LISTS OF ASPIRANTS
Wiper Secretary-General Hassan Omar said his party submitted its lists of aspirants early Wednesday.
“We have already given the lists in order to beat today’s deadline,” he said after attending a press conference at which party leader Kalonzo Musyoka handed him a direct nomination to contest for Mombasa governor in the election.
The Jubilee Party was one of the last outfits to submit its list. Amani National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Geoffrey Osotsi said the party was rushing to submit its list by close of business on Wednesday.
NAME FLAGBEARER
“We are finalising the list,” Mr Osotsi told the Nation at around 4pm. “We will submit the list before the close of business today (Wednesday).”
He added that the party would submit the name of its leader Musalia Mudavadi as the presidential candidate despite the ongoing effort to name the flagbearer for the National Super Alliance (Nasa), to which ANC belongs.
“We are submitting the name of Musalia Mudavadi as our party’s presidential candidate,” said Mr Osotsi. “This is because we will front him as our presidential candidate for Nasa.”
