Jubilee Party and the National Super Alliance have jointly turned down a proposal by the IEBC to have the UNDP finance buying of Presidential ballot papers for repeat polls
Leader of Majority in the National Assembly and Jubilee’s point man argued such a move was in breach of law on the management of public money.
He asked the National Treasury to trash the proposal by the IEBC.
“Kenya is not a banana republic. The only places where the UN can conduct elections are Haiti and Liberia,” said Duale on Tuesday as told by Daily Nation.
He argued that in any nation where an election is funded by the UN, it is illegal.
“Any election conducted with proceeds from the UN is illegal. This is just because he wants to satisfy the ego of someone who is power-hungry,” said Duale in reference to Public Finance Management Act.
NASA on the hand rejected the proposal by IEBC warning that the electoral commission should not hide under UNDP to have Dubai based Al Ghurair print the Presidential ballot papers.
“IEBC cannot hide under UNDP to help in sourcing for ballot papers. It is not a question of who will pay. We reject the offer,” said Raila Odinga at his Capitol Hill office on Tuesday.
Raila further warned they will not accept any Presidential ballot papers printed by Al Ghurair.
IEBC in a letter to NASA responding to their 12 “irreducible minimums” said that IEBC has a 2-year contract with Al Ghurair.
But Raila noted the contract was not binding since it was single-sourced.
Questioned about the deal, besieged IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba said the proposal is still being deliberated on.
“We have the criteria governing such an exercise but we have not firmed up the discussion,” said Chiloba.
He added the UN has a financing deal with the UN.
“This assistance is meant to help restore public confidence and trust in the integrity of the ballot papers and results forms to be used in the fresh election as well as address the concerns raised by the Supreme Court.”
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich noted, with regard to the UNDP request; “We have not discussed it.”
By Pharis Kinyua. He’s an online Journalist and an author for Jamhuri News.