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Kenya: ODM Wants ECK Locked Out of Poll
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The East African Standard (Nairobi)
27 April 2008
Posted to the web 28 April 2008
Isaac Ongiri And Beauttah Omanga
Nairobi
Orange Democratic Party (ODM) wants the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) disbanded before the by-elections for five constituencies on June 11.
The party's National Treasurer Mr Omingo Magara and Immigration minister Mr Otieno Kajwang' called for the creation of an ad hoc committee to oversee the polls, whose schedule ECK released on Friday.
"It is clear that the current ECK lacks credibility and its activities cannot be trusted. It is important that President Kibaki should lead the way in restoring credibility in the Kenyan elections and it should start with by-elections," Magara said.
Magara, an Assistant minister for Trade in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, said restructuring of ECK was part of ODM's reform agenda and that the party was looking forward to a free electoral process.
Kajwang' said that it would be painful for Kenyans to see another election organised by ECK under Mr Samuel Kivuitu's chairmanship.
He noted that, although the commissioners have resisted calls to resign, citing the constitutional cushion, it would have been fair if they all resigned to pave the way for reforms in the polls body.
The minister urged President Kibaki to dissolve the commission to pave way for the creation of a parliamentary committee to preside over the by-elections.
"Kivuitu and his team should have long resigned because they now know that the messy elections they handled almost cost us our country," Kajwang' said.
However, PNU came to the defence of Kivuitu's team yesterday, saying Kenyans should wait for the Kriegler Commission to finalise its inquiry before condemning the commissioners.
Forestry minister Dr Noah Wekesa said PNU still recognises the commission and condemning it unheard is not right.
"Kivuitu's team has handled the polls credibly before. Let us not demonise them just because of the dispute that resulted from the December polls," he said.
He said political parties and MPs would have the opportunity to monitor ECK in the by-elections adding that he would himself pitch tent in Emuhaya where he said PNU would battle for the seat through Ford-Kenya.
"We have a very strong Ford-Kenya candidate in Emuhaya and I will personally camp there to supervise the polls on behalf of my party. Other parties should do the same," the minister said.
There have been demands for the resignation of the ECK's 22 commissioners following the disputed December 27 polls that triggered countrywide violence that led to the death of more than 1,300 Kenyans and the displacement of 500,000 others.
On Friday Kivuitu released the by-elections timetable for the polls to be held in Kilgoris, Emuhaya, Wajir East, Ainamoi and Embakasi constituencies.
A day after announcing the dates of the by-elections in five constituencies, the Electoral Commission of Kenya is on the spot over its moral integrity to carry out the exercise.
Civil society officials demanded that the entire ECK be barred from organising the by-elections in the face of the ongoing investigation into its handling of last year's General Election.
National Convention Executive Council chief executive Cyprian Nyamwamu said it would be morally wrong for the team, led by chairman, Mr Samuel Kivuitu, to organise the by-elections.
He asked Parliament to appoint an interim nine-member commission to oversee the polls.
"The ECK has lost the public's confidence. It should not handle any election matters until the Kriegler commission of inquiry gives a verdict," said Nyamwamu.
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The activist urged President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to sack the electoral commissioners.
"There are concerns that some ECK officials might fear adducing evidence since their bosses might sack them," said Nyamwamu.
He said the employees who were key to exposing any electoral irregularities, could only feel free to do so if ECK were disbanded.
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| Copyright © 2008 The East African Standard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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