The suspended recruitment of new members of the electoral commission(IEBC) is poised to resume in earnest after bipartisan talks between the opposition Azimio coalition and government-leaning Kenya Kwanza side collapsed on Tuesday.
A Selection Panel constituted in February had put the process on hold to allow for negotiations after Azimio contested its membership.
Talks between Raila Odinga’s Azimio and Kenya Kwanza hit a snag after the government signed declined to co-sign a letter it considered unlawful.
Tharaka MP George Murugara, co-chair of the bi-partisan team had termed Azimio’s demands as extra legal leading to a stalemate early June.
The Murugara-led camp issued an ultimatum on Tuesday for Azimio to resume talks or have the Selection Panel led by Nelson Makanda proceed with its mandate.
“It is one month since Azimio suspended the talks indefinitely, in our view as Kenya Kwanza we should resume the talks. We either agree to talks or the law takes its course,” Murugara said.
“We are inviting our colleagues for a meeting on Tuesday, the July 4, so that we can proceed and deal with the matter,” he added.
‘Held at ransom’
Murugara termed the reconstitution of IEBC as an urgent matter citing by-elections which are yet to be conducted in a number of Wards and Constituencies.
He emphasized that Kenyans can no longer be held at ransom saying the law should be allowed to take it’s course.
“The first topic to be discussed which is of paramount importance is IEBC, we must discuss the reconstitution of the Commissioners because it is urgent, it is important top every Kenya,” he said.
Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse (Kenya Kwanza) said should the Azimio Coalition team refuse to turn up for the meeting the Selection Panel should proceed with the reconstitution of the electoral agency which was halted to give room for talks.
“The issue of IEBC is an emergency and should be dispensed with expeditiously, we are asking the Azimio to come for the talks on Tuesday, if they will not turn up then the existing laws will guide the process of reconstitution the Commission,” Mutuse said.
“You cannot conduct bipartisan dialogue through unilateral press statements and ultimatums,” he said.
“The talks stalled when the co-chair declined to sign the letters to IEBC and the Selection Panel claiming these were independent bodies who cannot be controlled,” Otiende asserted.
