IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati has now taken issue with the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021, saying it might interfere with the election timeline.<\/p>\n
The bill is seen as a brainchild of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM boss Raila Odinga in their bid to fortify Raila ahead of his fifth presidential shot.<\/p>\n
It seeks to among others, make it mandatory for those seeking to be members of an alliance to have done the same four months to the election.<\/p>\n
But Chebukati says that the four months are two months later than the time the commission is supposed to have reviewed parties’ nomination rules.<\/p>\n
This is with consideration that should the bill pass, the alliances will now have to come up with nomination rules even three months to the elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe timelines are not committed to the electoral timelines because the commission is required to review nomination rules of any party participating in an election six months before nominations,\u201d\u00a0he said on Friday, as is quoted by The Standard.<\/span><\/p>\n He also took issue with some parts of the bill which he said seek to take away some of IEBC’s powers and hand them to the Registrar of Political Parties.<\/span><\/p>\n He cited clause 22 which seeks to transfer power to verify political parties members, certify that an independent candidate doesn’t belong to a political party and regulate political parties to the RPP.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe provision usurps the power of the commission. Party-list nominations are elections conducted by the commission. It is the commission’s role to verify qualifications of the nominees,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n The bill is as well seen as an attempt to make Raila’s Azimio La Umoja a coalition political party in preparation for the awaited August ekecrion.<\/span><\/p>\n It will be signed into law if passed by the Senate after being approved by the National Assembly earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n Content created and supplied by: Curtis-Otieno (via Opera \n , . , . () , , , , , , , , . \/ , and\/or . , , and\/or , and\/or <\/span>He made the remarks while submitting his views to the Nyamira Senator Okongo Omogeni-led Senate Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights Committee.<\/span><\/p>\n
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