IEBC Commissioners after public hearing on Election Laws(Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Election Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2017, October 5, 2017. [Photo|Parliament of Kenya]The electoral body, IEBC, has supported six of Jubilee Party's proposed amendments to the Election Laws(Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Election Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2017.Appearing before the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee co-chaired by Baringo North MP William Cheptumo and Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, IEBC said it was comfortable with proposal that one of its Commissioners take over as the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson.Led by chairperson Wafula Chebukati, Commissioners and the Secretariat told the committee, that the Supreme Court should be required to consider, if non-compliance is deliberately intended to distort the outcome of an election, on matters of presidential election results nullification."The burden should be placed on a person challenging an election to prove that there was a breach of the law and that that breach affected the results," said IEBC in its memorandum.The Commission also agreed amendments to the framework for the transmission of presidential results by ensuring physical delivery of results declaration forms immediately after the electronic transmission."The declaration of a presidential election winner should be made upon the verification of physically delivered results. Delete the words manual transmission in favour of the term physically delivered."On Thursday, during last sittings of the select-committee, IEBC also accepted a new clause in the Elections Offences Act, that will ensure criminal liability on election officials who deliberately alter, falsify or submit incomplete results declaration forms.Even though the commission agreed with the bill that such officers be sent to jail for a maximum of five years without fine, IEBC requested the committee to acknowledge the pressure, under which Presiding and Returning Officers work.The committee is expected to table a report before the Senate and the National Assembly, on Tuesday, October 10.It concluded public hearing sessions after receiving submissions from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on the proposed amendments. Other institutions that made submissions include the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) among others.

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