[Nasa leaders during Thursday’s meeting. They have been allowed by IEBC to set a parallel tallying centre during August polls. Photo/the-star]
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has finally agreed to Opposition alliance NASA's plan to set up its own tallying centre during the forthcoming general elections.
Speaking on Thursday shortly after holding a meeting with Opposition leaders, IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati gave the Opposition the greenlight to monitor the elections, but cautioned them against announcing election results.
He noted that IEBC is the only legally mandated body to announce election results and declare winners.
"Parties recognize that it is the mandate of the IEBC to announce and declare the results of an election. However, political parties and media may monitor, tally and verify the results for the own internal use,” he said in a joint statement.
Earlier, the electoral body was sceptical about NASA having a parallel tallying centre from IEBC's, warning that it could be a recipe for chaos.
Jubilee Party had also criticised the Opposition on the plan, saying it could throw the country into anarchy.
On their part, NASA said they wanted to ensure that the polls are credible and verifiable.