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IEBC commissioners insist they won’t quit before Tuesday

Government Spokesman Eric Kiraithe says the IEBC delegation led by Chairperson Issack Hassan stated that they cannot resign before next week on Tuesday when the new Elections (Amendment) Law, 2016 takes effect/MOSES MUOKI

Government Spokesman Eric Kiraithe says the IEBC delegation led by Chairperson Issack Hassan stated that they cannot resign before next week on Tuesday when the new Elections (Amendment) Law, 2016 takes effect/MOSES MUOKI

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 28 – Negotiations between IEBC commissioners and the government have hit a snag after the electoral chiefs insisted they will not vacate office by this Friday as had been adopted by a Parliamentary Select Committee report.

Government Spokesman Eric Kiraithe says the IEBC delegation led by Chairperson Issack Hassan stated that they cannot resign before next week on Tuesday when the new Elections (Amendment) Law, 2016 takes effect.

“The IEBC delegation reiterated their undertaking to the nation to vacate from office as soon as possible, for the sake of the country,” he stated.

It was however clear before 4th October, IEBC commissioners “cannot resign before then.”

The IEBC commissioners have reiterated their undertaking to the nation to vacate office as soon as possible, for the sake of the country.

The government side was represented at the meeting by the Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge and Solicitor General Njee Muturi while SRC was represented by its Chief Executive Officer Anne Gitau.

The talks will continue Thursday when an offer to the commissioners will be tabled and discussed.

“While no figures were agreed to during today’s meeting, both sides tabled initial offers in terms of the commissioner’s terms of vacation from office,” the Government spokesperson revealed.

Kiraithe insisted that the Government was committed in ensuring, “that the entire negotiation and transition process takes place in accordance with the law.”

The IEBC delegation was led by IEBC Chairperson and four commissioners including Eng. Abdullahi Sharawe, Thomas Letangule and Albert Bwire.

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Hassan told the Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee (PAIC) on Monday that Elections (Amendment) Law is silent on how exactly they should vacate office.

“The timelines that were put in the report are not in the Act. The Act does not talk about September 30; it only talks about the vacation from office. The report also indicated that there should be a smooth handover and a transition; there is a mechanism we put into place that one has not been applied to the Act. So there is a lot of lacuna,” he said.

READ: IEBC officials to stay in office beyond Friday deadline

CORD Leader Raila Odinga had over the weekend insisted that the Hassan and his team should vacate office by Saturday.

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