US chief elections observer John Kerry. Photo/thealtlantic.comTwo US election overseer groups have asked the IEBC to complete publicising all copies of the two sets of forms used to compile result of the August 8 presidential election.
National Democratic Institute (NDI) and The Carter Center said availing complete set of the forms would enable independent verification of the results used by the Commission to declare President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election.
“This is an even more urgent matter in light of the seven-day time limit to file legal challenges concerning the announcement of the presidential election result,” the NDI said in a statement on Thursday.
“Access to official results data is critical for interested parties so that they can crosscheck and verify results, and exercise their right to petition if necessary,” The Carter Center said.
“Publishing results by polling station is an internationally recognised means to ensure transparent electoral processes and increase public confidence in the integrity of the results.”
Friday August 18 is the deadline for the filing of petitions against Uhuru’s re-election, where the forms are likely to feature.
As pressure increased on it, the IEBC on Wednesday said it had uploaded on its website copies of Forms 34B filled in at the constituencies and used to tally results of the presidential election.
The preliminary results posted on its portal indicate that by Thursday noon, Forms 34A from 40,877 had been sent using the gadgets used to transmit results, and that Uhuru has 8,222,536 votes in the provisional results. He had 8,203,290 votes in the final tally announced last Friday.
IEBC says the final result is based on the verified and validated Forms 34B filed by the 290 constituencies. Form 34A is the first document used to sum results of the presidential election at polling stations.
The form contains details of the votes received by each candidate and then details the total number of registered voters in that polling station, the rejected votes, the objected ones, the disputed and the valid ones.
The candidate or their agents then sign and approve that the contents of that form are correct.
Form 34A is handed over to the constituency returning officer, who then fills Form 34B. It is used for the collation of the presidential election results.
NDI said the forms “are vital to public confidence in the election process.”
“Open electoral data practices include making the forms available in an easily analysable format,” it added.
The Carter Center asked the IEBC to finish posting the 34As as fast as possible in light of the deadline for filing of the case.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga said Thursday that he will challenge Uhuru’s re-election at the Supreme Court.