Senator Elachi accuses CORD of derailing electoral reforms

Nominated Senator, Beatrice Elachi, has accused the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) of frustrating the electoral reform process.

Speaking on Sunday, November 27, in Lukuse area after attending a church service, Elachi said CORD leaders have been on the forefront in criticizing processes that are being put in place to ensure the next elections are credible, calling on politicians to instead offer the outgoing Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) full cooperation to ensure smooth transition.

The IEBC stalemate has been a headache with the government and opposition at loggerheads on the exact election dates and new commissioners being put in office.

She claimed that the perceived resistance by CORD on processes of electoral reforms is part of their scheme to claim a share of the next government, should Jubilee win the elections.

She further stressed that elections must take place on the scheduled date of August 8, 2016 asserting that the presidency should not be a do or die matter.

Her sentiments comes just days after CORD expressed opposition to the ongoing process by IEBC to award a Ksh 2.5 billion tender to a Dubai-based Al Ghurair printing firm for the procurement of electoral material.

“Ballot boxes are produced against an estimated number of voters-with the voter register still open and a compulsory audit still on course which may even result in fresh voter registration, how did the commission estimate the number of voters?” posed ODM Director of Elections, Junet Mohamed.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO, Ezra Chiloba, however, defended the decision to proceed with the procurement of election materials for the 2017 polls even before new commissioners are appointed.

Chiloba said halting the process would be equivalent to planning to fail with the general election just 8 months away.