ODM leader Raila Odinga. [Photo/ Courtesy of RO]
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the NASA presidential candidate, has insisted that unless his list of IEBC demands is fully met, there will be no election on October 17.One of the demands is that IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba must leave the electoral body, following allegations that he may have failed in managing the last presidential election. IEBC commissioners have now fully backed Chiloba to lead a special projects team that has been tasked with delivering a credible election next month.The demand that Mr Chiloba resigns is political. If there evidence that he bungled the election, the best thing to do is to prosecute him in court. The matter should be settled there.Another impossible demand that NASA has raised is that IEBC chooses another company to print the ballot papers. The electoral commission has a running contract with Al Ghurair, the Dubai-based firm which printed the ballots for the last general election. It is too late to advertise and choose the winning bid to provide election materials. That procurement takes months. And the election is just over 30 days away.The opposition has also asked IEBC to fire all election officials, such as returning officers countrywide who conducted the last elections as a condition for taking part in the presidential rerun. That is not possible, because the commission does not have time to bring in new people and train them enough to preside over the election. If there is evidence that any officer took part in any electoral malpractice, the best thing to do is take them to court. And if any IEBC employee takes part in any illegal activity in the coming polls, why not collect the evidence and return to the Supreme Court?
The country has constitutional deadlines that must be met within a very short period of time. If that is not done, there will be a crisis in Kenya.Having lost by more than 1.4 million votes — numbers that the ODM leader did not challenge at the Supreme Court — the best thing that Raila should do is campaign vigorously, especially in areas where he is losing to Jubilee, to try and catch up with President Kenyatta. If not, he may end up losing by a wider margin in the October 17 election.