IEBC sets events timelines to next year's poll

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission will conduct a run-off in April 2013 between top two candidates should there be no clear winner in the March 4 General Election. This is just in case the winning candidate does not garner more than half of the votes cast in the presidential election, as the Constitution requires. According IEBC programme, which maps out the events and timelines between now and the General Election, vote registration starts in August. It is expected to net about 18 million eligible voters. Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Isaack Hassan and commissioners Lilian Bokeeye and Mohammed Hussun at a past function. The commission has released a timetable of how the elections will be conducted. [Photo: Agnes Rube/Standard Participation in fund-raisers by those who will be seeking elective posts must stop in July, in accordance with the Constitutional provision that taking part in harambees in the last eight months to elections is an offence. On the other hand public servants who plan to run for elective posts – County Ward Representative, Women Representative, Governor, Senator and Member of Parliament – must resign by August. IEBC drew up the timelines, even as it waits to see if court or Parliament can make a decision that could change the election date it set, which President Kibaki supports, but Prime Minister Raila Odinga opposes. IEBC chairman Ahmed Isaack Hassan has made it clear that the planning for the elections will go on, and that the date, which he says the commission picked after the two principals failed to agree, can only change based on a court or House decision. President Kibaki and his allies favour the March 4 date for the polls in line with court advice that if the two principals do not formally break up the Grand Coalition to force early elections, then they can wait until the term of Parliament lapses in January 2013, elections would then be held within 60 days. Hassan and his team announced the date last Saturday, a decision that has stoke criticism that IEBC may have taken the President’s suggestion, but ignored the Prime Minister’s suggestion. Raila maintains the President ignored a proposal by Cabinet that elections be held on December 17. On Tuesday The Standard exclusively reported how the President vetoed Cabinet, switched from support for a December elections, in favour of March 2013, following the court ruling in January, and how a meeting with Raila was cancelled by State House at the last minute. The cancellation was preceded by insistence by Office of the President that top Party of National Unity ministers would accompany the President to the meeting. Raila said he would bring along Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, and Lands minister James Orengo to the meeting. Even more curious was the fact that IEBC first met the President over the date last Friday. Later that day the commission met Raila and told him about the President’s wish. Despite the PM’s rejection of a March date, the commission called a news conference the following day to announce the March elections date. By Standard

20 Mar 2012 by Xasan 0 comments