Nyamira Senator Okong’o Mong’are has termed the move by IEBC chair Isaac Hassan to decline suggestions that the commissions term to be extended as ‘bold and critical’.
The Jubilee coalition in National Assembly and the leadership of Aden Duale is reportedly preparing a motion that will seek extension of IEBC term by another three months to avoid a possible constitutional crisis since the commission’s term is expected to end in November 2017, a move that Mr Hassan dismissed urging president to appoint other commissioners who should take over immediately their term expires.
Okongo during an exclusive phone interview on Wednesday cautioned Jubilee coalition against causing ‘anxiety’ among political parties by plotting an extension of IEBC term.
“I want to thank Isaac Hassan for his decision to dismiss extension of his officers’ term. That was a critical and bold move because we are not ready for political tensions around the country. The Jubilee coalition should avoid causing unnecessary confusions among political parties by using its numbers in National assembly,” he said.
He dismissed possibilities of a constitutional crisis saying even the incoming team could still manage polls in case there is a run off in August’s 2017 polls.
“The most important thing to do is to appoint new commissioners in time so that they assume office immediately when Isaac Hassan’s group ends their tenure. Managing a run-off will not be an issue since we have a Chief IEBC officer (Ezra Chiloba) and his team across the country. Commissioners work is just to oversee the polls,” he added.
He said Mr Hassan’s move was a huge step towards embracing the rule of law and said the term extension was likely to bring suspicions of rigging by either side of political divide.
“Hassan knows the rule of law and I want to thank him for that. We don’t want to be in a scenario where political parties suspect each other on rigging and that can cause chaos. Let the commissioners leave office as stipulated by the law,” he said.