Nasa legislators want poll postponed

What you need to know:

  • Mr Mudavadi said the commission should consult all stakeholders to address situations that may be interpreted as biased or hiding information.

  • President Kenyatta and the Jubilee leadership insist on October 17 as the poll date.

  • The President addressed rallies in Kajiado on Tuesday and called on Mr Odinga to stop giving conditions to the commission. 

Opposition MPs Wednesday asked the electoral commission to set a date for the presidential poll rerun agreeable to all.

The proposal by the National Super Alliance lawmakers was made during a parliamentary group meeting addressed by Nasa principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula at the Wiper party offices in Lavington.

The Nation learnt that the principals and their technical advisers would hold a meeting with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s top officials Thursday morning to discuss the matter.   

Mr Mudavadi said the commission should consult all stakeholders to address situations that may be interpreted as biased or hiding information.

“We are ready for the meeting. The earlier one was cancelled because our schedule was tight. IEBC needs to be reminded that it has to be a neutral arbiter,” Mr Mudavadi said.

ELECTION DATE

He added that the parliamentary group was a coordinated approach to have MPs recruit agents at polling stations. 

ODM chairman John Mbadi (Suba South), who was left to take charge of the meeting as the principals left “for other business”, said Nasa was ready for the election “but things must be seen to be done the right way”.

“The Gazette notice issued by the commission is not cast in stone. The election date can be de-gazetted,” Mr Mbadi said.

On Tuesday, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati gazetted October 17 as the date for the repeat of the poll, just six days after the Supreme Court annulled the re-election of Mr Uhuru Kenyatta.

President Kenyatta and the Jubilee leadership insist on October 17 as the poll date.

The President addressed rallies in Kajiado on Tuesday and called on Mr Odinga to stop giving conditions to the commission. 

Mr Mbadi said there must be an audit of the results transmission system and the voter register.

He added that it would be foolhardy to go into the election with infrastructure that bungled the invalidated results.

He said it was not the business of Nasa to dictate who to be appointed to what position in the electoral commission.