Opposition raises RED ALERT, says Jubilee, IEBC colluding to rig polls

Opposition leaders Raila Odinga of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) and Musalia Mudavadi of the Amani National Congress (ANC) now say the ruling Jubilee administration is colluding with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to rig the Tuesday, August 8, 2017 elections.

The two leaders, who have hinted at forming a coalition, the National Super Alliance (NASA), were reacting to a move by the IEBC to contract KPMG to audit the voter register, one of the demands raised by CORD during the anti-IEBC protests in May and June this year.

In a joint statement read by Mudavadi, the two leaders sad there are signs that Jubilee is collaborating with outgoing IEBC officials “to pre-empt the will of the people next year through a number of underhand ways”.

“First, we are seeing clear delays in the implementation of time-bound processes that are meant to ensure free, fair, transparent and credible elections,” said Mudavadi in the statement.

He said that the malice begun with delays in the publication of the Elections Law Amendment Bill before it was introduced to Parliament as well as delay in its presentation to the President for assent after being passed.

He also accused the Head of State of further delaying the process by taking time before assenting to the Bill and, therefore, ignoring the urgency that necessitated the coming together across the political divide to agree on this Bill.

“Further delays were experienced as follows; in the Commencement of the Act, in appointing the panel to reconstitute the IEBC, in the assumption of office by the Selection Panel on the grounds that there was no Chief Justice to swear-in members. This has now been capped with a protracted appointment of new commissioners,” added Mudavadi.

“As these delays have persisted, the sacked and discredited commissioners remain in office, using their extended stay to tilt the electoral infrastructure in favour of Jubilee through acts of omission and commission.”

Mudavadi termed the contraction of KPMG by the electoral body as illegitimate adding that it should be stopped immediately.

“One of such acts of commission resulting from the illegitimate stay of sacked commissioners in office is the appointment of KPMG to conduct an audit of the voter register,” added the opposition.

The opposition now says that Kenyans are not ready for another sham election whose results are being determined now, long before any vote has been cast.

The opposition leaders further argue that Jubilee and IEBC have planted individuals to move to court and challenge legitimate processes as a way to rig the elections.

“As these illegalities continue, IEBC commissioners have engaged surrogates to move to court and challenge the negotiated election laws and particularly the provisions that voting be done through an integrated technological system.”

Odinga and Mudavadi further argue the move by the National Assembly Speaker, Justin Muturi, to call a special session of Parliament on Tuesday, December 20 to discuss the electoral laws was a clear indication that the elections would be mishandled.

“Then in a move that clearly shows Jubilee intends to use its incumbency and numbers, Parliament has been recalled to adopt a motley of laws on elections with the ultimate aim of throwing out the negotiated agreement and reverting to the old order that allows dead people and under age people to vote, ballot stuffing and manual voting because these favour Jubilee.”

The opposition now says that all the negotiations reached must respected.

“We are, therefore, sending out an alert that the spirit and letter of the Accord that was reached at through bipartisan negotiations must be respected and that as opposition, we will not be party to the removal of even a comma from that agreement.”

“We are sending a warning that if Jubilee and the sacked IEBC commissioners insist on the path they have taken, the country will be back to pre-negotiations square one with the attendant consequences. The choice is in the hands of Jubilee and the IEBC.”

CORD Co-principals, Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper and Moses Wetangula of Ford Kenya were conspicuously missing at the event.