The fate of ODM nominations slated for tomorrow still hangs in the balance as the polls body maintained all party primaries must wait next week’s gazettment of all aspirants names.
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) yesterday refused to give in to ODM’s request to proceed with its primaries only saying they are still consulting internally and will communicate to the Orange party today morning.
Raila party has however remained adamant that it will today kick off its staggered nominations exercise in Busia, Bungioma and Machakos Counties despite Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) terming the exercise illegal.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati on Wednesday told political parties to suspend their nomination programs up to April 13 to allow for the gazettment of the aspirants names as required by the law.
The electoral body is expected to gazette the names received within seven days from April 5 while parties will have 14 days thereafter to prepare and conduct party primaries not later than April 26.
Raila and ODM’s National Election Board (NEB) chairperson Judy Pareno have however ignored the poll’s body directive and maintained the party will carry on with the nomination schedule as planned.
Pareno said the ODM’s dates were negotiated between the party and the Commission stating it is the IEBC which cleared their dates after a series of correspondence seen by People Daily.
“On the 6th of January 2017 the NEB of the ODM met with IEBC officials led by the CEO Ezra Chiloba to discuss the staggered nominations in accordance with the party Elections and Nominations Rules. The IEBC having listened to the Board demanded that the request be put in writing. The Board complied in a letter dated January 25, 2017. On the same day the party submitted its Elections and Nominations Rules as dictated by law,” argued Pareno.
From the paper trail, IEBC wrote back to the Orange Party on January 31, 2017 giving NEB a go ahead to hold the nominations as per their proposal.
