“The commission expects CORD and all citizens to uphold the rule of law as it demands the same of others. It will hold steadfast to the law and render fair and just decisions,” he stated/XINHUA-File
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 24 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Sunday told the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) that it will not take orders from anybody.
In a statement, IEBC Communications and Public Affairs Manager Andrew Limo asked CORD to observe the law, which also provides for its independence from external interference in its work.
“The commission expects CORD and all citizens to uphold the rule of law as it demands the same of others. It will hold steadfast to the law and render fair and just decisions,” he stated.
He said “the commission will not be manipulated, intimidated or succumb to pressure in the performance of its mandate.”
His remarks came after CORD announced that it will storm the IEBC offices on Monday over alleged mishandling of Okoa Kenya signatures which were declared inadmissible.
According to Limo, the IEBC had invited CORD’s Okoa Kenya Secretariat to learn the voter registration verification process, an invitation they had not yet honored.
Even after the commission rendered Okoa Kenya’s voter register unlawful, Limo said the commission was in constant communication with the CORD secretariat.
“The commission has been in constant communication with the Okoa Secretariat/CORD Coalition before and in the aftermath of the verdict on the Okoa Initiative, which failed to meet the constitutional threshold. The commission had advised the Okoa secretariat to send its technical team of experts to meet with ours to acquaint itself with the methodology used in the verification process. However this has not happened,” Limo explained.
Terming the planned storming of the IEBC offices as needless, Limo said it would only interfere with the commission’s work especially ongoing preparations for the 2017 General Election.
“The commission is committed to implementing the Election Operations Plan and taking other elaborate measures to ensure the next election will be free and flawless. These preparations will suffer if the commission is subjected to frequent disruption, unfounded agitation, meddling and interference.”
Limo said the commission had its doors open for constructive discussions but not destructive arguments likely to interfere with its work.
“Such engagement is expected to be in a structured and organised manner devoid of intimidation, threats or malicious orchestrations and demonstration,” Limo said.
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