Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman, Isaack
Hassan. He has asked courts to consider retaining winners in the
on-going General Election petitions to save the cost of conducting
by-elections. Photo/FILE
Saturday, August 31, 2013
The electoral commisison has asked courts to consider retaining
winners in the on-going General Election petitions to save the cost of
conducting by-elections.
Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission Chairman Issack Hassan Friday said they were
cash-strapped and he expressed fears that the more than 90 petitions
could drain their resources.
“We are challenging
courts to declare the clear winners after recount. In doing this, we
will not have to spend millions of shillings in planning by-elections,”
Mr Hassan said while issuing writs for the by-elections in Siaya County,
Matungulu and Kibwezi constituencies.
The commission
will conduct by-elections in those areas on October 17. On the same date
county assembly wards will also conduct theirs. They include Ilima in
Kaiti constituency, Benane (Lagdera) and Mnagei in Kapenguria.
The rest of the election petitions are yet to be decided. All cases must have been concluded by October 13.
Mr Hassan said the huge number of petitions was not an indictment on how his agency conducted the elections.
“The cases are only 10 per cent of the total seats contested,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s an indictment on how we conducted the elections.”
he said, adding that most of the petitions will be thrown out of the courts.
During
the meeting he handed the writs to returning officers in the seven
electoral zones who shall oversee the elections on October 17.
“I
want you to know that you are responsible for the outcome thereof.
Conduct the elections diligently, professionally and above all, observe
the law,” he said.
In Siaya, former Governor Cornel
Rasanga lost his seat after the High Court in Kisumu nullified his win
citing massive electoral malpractices.
This followed a petition filed by William Oduol who lost in the March 4 elections.
The petition was one of the 24 filed against the elections of governors countrywide.
Machakos
High court on August 15 revoked the election of Patrick Musimba as the
Kibwezi West MP following a successful petition by former Kibwezi MP
Kalembe Ndile.
A recount found that Mr Ndile had won by 29 votes.
“I
hereby declare that Dr Patrick Musimba was not validly elected as a
Member of the National Assembly for Kibwezi West Constituency,” said
Justice David Majanja in his ruling.
Matungulu MP
Stephen Mutinda Mule also lost his parliamentary seat after the Machakos
High Court judge Lilian Mutende said there were massive irregularities
in the poll.
The petition was filed by poll losers Thomas Malinda Musau, Stephen Ndambuki Muli, John Makenzi and a former MP Moffat Maithya.
IEBC
has given political parties up to September 2 to finalise their
primaries and determine intra-party disputes arising from the nomination
of their candidates.
The nominees will then be
required to present their nomination papers to the respective Returning
Officers by September 21 latest.
The official campaign period will run from September 21 to October 15, 2013.