IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati with vice-chairperson Consolata Bucha addressing the media at the commission offices on June 21, 2017 on the printing of ballot papers. He warns that a cancellation of the ballot printing tender would mean shifting the election date. [Photo: nation.co.ke]
The opposition Nasa has threatened to go to court to block the printing of ballot papers if the tender issued to Dubai-based Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Ltd is not cancelled.
Arguing that the firm has close links with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family, the Raila Odinga-led NNasa has repeated claims that IEBC was pushed by the Jubilee government to award the tender to the firm.
“Even a fool will tell you that there is something fishy about the company and as Nasa, we will not be led to an already flawed process. We will go to court to block it” said Odinga.
That said, have you posed to to interrogate what would be the implications of Nasa going to court over this matter as they have continually threatened?
Well, the implications would not only be disruptive to the electoral process but also affect IEBC's preparedness.
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Wednesday warned that a threat by the opposition to go to court to block the printing of ballot papers carried the possibility of shifting the election date set for August 8.
“We wish to remind Kenyans that with 47 days to the General Election, court processes that seek to stop key milestones in the remaining days will no doubt affect the election date,” Chebukati said at the commission’s Anniversary Towers offices.
Postponement of the election would only mean one thing; formation of a caretaker government that would oversee the running of the country during the transition period before another general election date can be fixed. The transition government would, however, include both Jubilee and Nasa leadership.
That's why you may have heard Jubilee claim that Nasa is planning to use the 'backdoor' to gain power through delaying of elections.