We will rectify 2013 mistakes – Issack Hassan

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chair Issack Hassan has exuded confidence in the commission’s ability to hold free and fair elections in 2017.

Speaking in Mombasa on Monday, Hassan said that they have identified and are working on resolving the hitches they faced during the 2013 elections to ensure they do not recur.

“It will be very unfortunate to disband IEBC because we have the ability to hold a free and credible elections in 2017,” he said.

The commission has been criticised by opposition coalition CORD for apparent ineptitude to hold a fair elections.

CORD has so far had five protest marches to Anniversary Towers to express their dissatisfaction with the commission and to push for the removal of its commissioners.

The coalition leader Raila Odinga claimed that IEBC commissioners were working with Jubilee to rig the 2017 polls in favour of incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He insisted that there will be no elections next year if the electoral agency is not reformed and new commissioners appointed.

CORD has also used the protest to push for dialogue with Jubilee to seek an out-of-Parliament solution to the IEBC impasse.

Both Jubilee and CORD are currently negotiating a way forward regarding the composition and the framework to be used in the dialogue process, a factor that prompted the opposition to suspend Monday protests.

Hassan has however refuted CORD’s claims saying they are open to talks that would end the stalemate.