Azimio leader Raila Odinga has said that he will establish a parallel national electoral commission.
This is, however, contrary to the constitutional provision that mandates the President to appoint the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission members upon recommendation by the selection panel.
Speaking on Friday at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation, Raila said that he will collect signatures to remove the current regime from power.
“We have understood that Kenya Kwanza brigade wants to go ahead and form a commission on its own. We will collect signatures from Kenyans and we will also form an electoral commission and carry out a referendum to delegitimize this regime,” he said.
He added that if Kenya Kwanza will form a commission without involving Azimio, then that commission will belong to them.
The recruitment of the next IEBC chiefs has been ongoing despite an initial fleeting political ceasefire between Ruto and the Opposition chief.
IEBC recruitment panel chairman Nelson Makanda told the Star his team never abandoned the exercise and has all along been working.
Makanda spoke a day after the Kenya Kwanza bipartisan team approved the recruitment to proceed after talks with Azimio collapsed.
However, the opposition fired a warning salvo against the hiring of the referee by the ruling party, at the exclusion of the rest.
IEBC commission selection panel is appointed by the President.
It consists of two men and two women from the Parliamentary Service Commission, one person from the Law Society of Kenya and two people from the Inter-religious Council of Kenya
The constitution cites the independence of the judiciary where they should not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.
Raila thanked Kenyans for coming out to mark Saba Saba Day across the country.
Raila listed three things that President William Ruto’s government should consider.
He said the President should lower the cost of living, revise the tax measures he has imposed on Kenyans and rethink the decision on recruitment of IEBC commissioners.
