Pollsters barred from publishing poll results

Pollsters barred from publishing poll results Written By:Catherine Achieng'a,    Posted: Wed, May 30, 2012

The publication of electoral opinion polls bill seeks to legislate and ensure electoral opinion polls are conducted in a scientific and transparent manner The publication of electoral opinion polls bill now awaits presidential assent after sailing through parliament at the committee stage with amendments. The implications of amendments moved by Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale mean stiffer penalties for offenders of the law as well as an increase in the period in which pollsters will be barred from publishing polls prior to elections. Whereas the initial bill had proposed pollsters not to publish results 48 hours before an election the amendments now see them barred from publishing opinion poll results on the day of the election and 5 days prior to an election. In moving the amendment Khalwale pointed out after consulting MPs and stakeholders it was agreed the amendment was necessary to avoid anxiety in release of polls at the last minute which is likely to sway the vote. The other crucial amendment widens the bracket to include persons who cause the publication of the results of an electoral opinion poll during an electoral period to be liable for prosecution should they contravene the law. At the same time the penalty for offenders of the law has been doubled from 500,000 shillings to one million shillings. Amendments to the bill also saw Gwassi legislator John Mbadi make a final attempt to oppose its adoption saying there should have been extensive consultations with stakeholders in the industry arguing its implications were not only political but would also affect other areas including the market research. However, his argument came even as those supporting the bill led by Eldoret North MP William Ruto said the law will help curb doctored polls often released by pollsters accusing them of cooking figures to suit particular candidates. Sentiments shared by among others Garsen MP Danson Mungatana and Dujis MP Aden Duale who say the law if approved will help regulate the release of electoral polls. The publication of electoral opinion polls bill seeks to legislate and ensure electoral opinion polls are conducted in a scientific and transparent manner and all the relevant information disclosed to the public including the name of the sponsor, person who conducted the poll, as well as population sample from which respondents are drawn. Foreign and domestic tour Elsewhere, the parliamentary committee on budget wants foreign and domestic tour for Mps and civil servant slashed by 50 percent in the coming financial year. In its proposals ahead of the budget, the committee noted that there was need to slash on the recurrent expenditure by reducing funds for such visits. According to the committee chairman Elias Mbau, foreign visits should slashed by 50 percent and domestic ones by 30 percent as huge amounts were been used by the state. Addressing the press at the end of a three day workshop in a Naivasha hotel, the Mps said that the committee supported the Sh17.5B allocated to IEBC for the general elections. Flanked by chairmen from various parliamentary committees, Mbau called for the increase in equalization fund to Sh6.7B. He challenged the State to involve Public Private Partnership in huge infrastructure like the Lamu port, the upgrading of Kilindini harbor and the Mombasa-Kisumu rail line instead of relying on taxes. On agriculture, the Mp called for the government to urgently set up the agriculture, livestock, food and fisheries authority. Other recommendations the committee want catered in the budget include the hiring of more teachers and doctors to address the current shortage. The chairman Parliamentary committee on agriculture John Mututho added that other recommendations included the provision of free medical services to minors aged below five years. On agriculture, the Naivasha Mp said that they had decided that all money meant for irrigation infrastructure should be handled directly by the national irrigation board.