Jubilee and Cord have agreed to 'expeditiously' recruit new IEBC commissioners as part of the drastic electoral reforms announced yesterday.
The Parliament Select Committee on IEBC that represents Cord and Jubilee agreed to send the current nine commissioners home voluntarily to pave way for the electoral reforms since the country has a short period of one year to prepare for elections.
“We had ten points that we came here to iron out and we finally agreed on the sticky issues today including the sending home of the current IEBC Commissioners,” said the Co Chairman the Parliament Select Committee on IEBC Kiraitu Murungi.
The Committee agreed to reduce the number of new commissioners to seven. The new commissioners will be employed on full time.
Four of the seven members of the selection will be nominated by the Parliamentary Service Commission while the rest will be nominated by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem), the Hindu Council and the Evangelical Alliance of Kenyan Bishops.
“We believe that our (The Parliament Select Committee) report will address challenges that makes Kenya’s economy unstable during electioneering year for us to enjoy peace and tranquility,” said Murungi at a Nairobi hotel where the team has been meeting.
As part of the reforms, the team also agreed the voters register be cleaned and Kenyans vote electronically in a bid to ensure the process remains free and fair.
The report was released as the National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi warned the select committee that it's report will be null and void if tabled beyond the 30 days provided.
The thirty days given to the committee ended last Thursday and given that the House does not sit on Friday, is supposed to table its report on IEBC reforms
yesterday
(Tuesday).
Muturi said he will rule accordingly once the committee tables its report
signaling another round of political fireworks between Jubilee and Cord.
"They would be engaging in a nullity that has no consequence should they proceed to extend their business without seeking leave of this House," Muturi warned.