Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka has written to President William Ruto moments after he received the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) nominees' report.
In his letter, Kalonzo issued a fresh set of demands over the ongoing process of appointing new IEBC commissioners, insisting there was a need for bipartisan consultations with the new-look opposition.
According to Kalonzo, failure to involve the opposition in the appointments would undermine public confidence in the commission while also posing the risk of setting up an electoral body which was partisan.
“We note that today you received the report of the panel charged with recruiting persons for consideration as chairperson and members of the IEBC,” Kalonzo wrote. “The law requires that the panel submit nine names for commissioners and two names for the chairperson’s position.”
The former Vice President further alluded to the National Dialogue Committee(NADCO) report, which was adopted several months ago following months of bipartisan talks between the Kenya Kwanza government and the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition.
Kalonzo was adamant that the NADCO report calls for consultation and concurrence between the two coalitions before Ruto makes the new IEBC appointments official.
In a separate demand, Kalonzo also called for the release of an exit report by the IEBC selection panel. This, he says, will be crucial in facilitating consultations which are transparent.
The letter added, "We call for an exit report by the selection panel interviewing the IEBC Chairperson and members, which will be instrumental in the process of consultations. Ultimately, it will be in the interest of the people of Kenya that we get an IEBC Commission that has the support of both the opposition and ruling party; one that inspires public trust and that has the Independence that is required of it."
Critically, Kalonzo also alluded to the shifting political landscape, which has seen the renowned opposition leader Raila Odinga establish good relations with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“The opposition is now represented by the Wiper Democratic Movement and the Democratic Action Party (DAP),” he insisted.
Bearing the new-look opposition in mind, Kalonzo warned Ruto that sidelining them would amount to creating a partisan electoral body, thus threatening future elections. The Wiper boss was adamant that the opposition would not accept such a dynamic.
"Indeed, any exercise without the opposition in particular that will be limited to the Kenya Kwanza Alliance alone or Kenya Kwanza and the party leader of ODM will be an attempt to establish a partisan IEBC, setting the stage for usurpation of the sovereign will of the people of Kenya exercised at the ballot during the general elections. This will not be acceptable."
After the presentation of the IEBC nominees' report to the president at State House, Ruto commended the panel and affirmed his commitment to upholding constitutional procedures.
According to the IEBC Act, the president has seven days to decide on who will be the country's next IEBC chairperson and commissioners and submit the names to Parliament.
