19 polling stations vote afresh in ODMs Mombasa County primaries

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is today, Saturday, April 29, carrying out a second round of party primaries in Mombasa County – this coming after errors were detected on ballot papers in six wards.

19 polling stations will be involved in this exercise, even as the April 30^th deadline approaches.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, National Elections Board Commissioner in charge of the exercise Edward Nyale said there was a problem with the names on the initial set of ballot papers.

Meanwhile, the party has embarked on the final stretch of party primaries in Shinyalu Constituency, South Mugirango, Nakuru Town West , Ibeno and Birongo Wards in Nyaribari Chache Constituency, 2 wards in Turkana County and 10 wards in Uasin Gishu County.

Nomination Confusion

Party primaries have been marred by confusion across the country, resulting in postponements, protests and several cases of unrest.

Various parties were forced to cancel and push forward the exercise – this raising concern about whether parties would be able to meet IEBC’s April 27 deadline.

Lobby group Angaza Empowerment Network, through the law firm Mbugua, Atudo and Macharia advocates, filed a petition to extend the deadline, arguing that according to the constitution, party nominations are to be conducted at least 90 days to the election, putting the date of the deadline at May 7, 2017.

“The reduction of the statutory period granted to political parties to plan and conduct party nominations by a whooping ten days is a violation and limitation of the provision of Article 83 (3) of the Constitution that is neither reasonable nor justifiable,”  said Mr Miringu in an affidavit filed at The High Court in Malindi.

The new deadline is now April 30.