By DAVE OPIYO
Posted Monday, January 16 2012 at 21:17
Posted Monday, January 16 2012 at 21:17
Lobby groups on Monday asked President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga not to give in to pressure to have the General Election held this year, arguing the country was not ready for it.
“Such elections will be sub-optimal,” said Mr Kennedy Masime, the chairman of the Elections Observation Group that brought together 10 civil society groups.
The group draws its membership from the Centre for Governance and Development, Constitution and Reform Education Consortium, the Federation of Women Lawyers, the Institute for Education in Democracy, Youth Agenda, among others.
“There is a lot to be done … the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has a lot to do in terms of election preparation, including the registration of more voters. Let’s give them ample time to prepare and not rush the process,” said Mr Masime.
He said this would lead to free, credible and fair polls.
Mr Masime made the remarks at a news conference in Nairobi on Monday.
The lobbies welcomed the High Court ruling on the election date.
Their reaction comes as the two principals remain under pressure from the public to resolve the election date issue following a High Court ruling that polls can only be held this year if the two agree to dissolve the Grand Coalition Government.
Judges Isaac Lenaola, Mumbi Ngugi and David Majanja gave two options on when the elections can be held. Read (Early polls up to you, judges tell Kibaki and Raila)
If they are to be held this year, it will only be “within sixty days from the date on which the National Coalition is dissolved by written agreement between the President and Prime Minister”, according to the National Accord and Reconciliation Act.
The second option is “within sixty days from the expiry of the term of the National Assembly on 15th January 2013”.
That would push the election date to mid-March next year.
Leaders from different parts of the country are of the view that although the High Court did not give a definite date for the polls, it had given the two principals powers to resolve the issue.
With the International Criminal Court next week expected to make a ruling on the confirmation of charges against six post-election violence suspects, the lobby groups want public officers whose charges are confirmed to resign.
Mr Masime said they should not vie for any seat during the General Election.
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