US Ambassador to Kenya, Bob Godec, at past. [Photo|US Embassy Nairobi]Foreign envoys have called on both Jubilee and NASA political coalitions to be reasonable in their demands of the IEBC and in their actions ahead of fresh presidential election. The leaders said it will be impossible to remake the IEBC in a way that satisfies all political demands, and everyone should refrain from undermining it. "All should give the IEBC space, time, and respect. Do not paralyse the IEBC. It is the only institution Kenya has to run the election and ensure Kenyans can choose their president."Led by US Ambassador to Kenya Bob Godec, the envoys decried the draft “Election Laws Amendment Bill,” by President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party, which they said puts at risk the IEBC’s ability to conduct a better election within the mandated 60-day timeline, and unnecessarily increases political tensions. Unlike Uhuru's defense of the Bill, the envoys said Kenyans can debate whether or not electoral changes are warranted, but the timing is a serious problem, and that wise reforms to an established electoral process take time. "They require thoughtful reflection and broad agreement from all parties. Well-established international best practice is to avoid changes to electoral rules just prior to an election," said Godec, in a joint statement.Addressing the press at the Bomas of Kenya, the government representatives also decried "the growing list of political demands, inflammatory rhetoric, and boycott threats" by NASA, saying they undermine the IEBC’s ability to carry out its constitutionally-mandated job to hold a new election. "For example, if IEBC personnel are to be removed, it should only be done by the appropriate authorities and be consistent with the law and relevant regulations."They urged all parties to engage immediately in a genuine dialogue with the IEBC regarding electoral procedures and processes, and that parties’ requests of the IEBC should be concrete, specific, and appropriate. "This is an opportunity for both sides to demonstrate leadership, strengthen Kenya’s democracy, and build the country’s international prestige. The IEBC should then make reasonable, fair decisions, and the election should be held as the Supreme Court directed," the envoys emphasised, Monday.

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