11 foreign diplomats have weighed in on the ongoing contention regarding the fate of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), advising the Government on actions necessary to ensure successful polls come 2017.
In a press statement, the envoys from the West said that it was prudent for Kenyan politicians and the citizens to dialogue with regard to matters surrounding the electoral body.
“Voters must have confidence that institutions such as the IEBC and the judiciary are impartial, efficient, and operate in accordance with the law. Kenyan leaders and citizens to come together through dialogue to build confidence in the electoral system,” the statement read in part.
They also called for the registration of every Kenyan as a voter, urging the Government to ensure that every person acquired a national identification card.
“All Kenyans must be able to obtain national identity cards from the National Registration Bureau through a process that is timely, fair, and reasonable,” the ambassadors indicated.
The ambassadors further urged the electoral body to accept questions raised over the independence of the Commission, adding that the body's future should be determined through the constitution.
“Decisions on questions such as the future of the IEBC’s leadership must be broadly acceptable, achieved through dialogue, and made in accord with Kenya’s constitution and laws,” said the representatives of the West.
They added that it was important for the IEBC and the Judiciary to have sufficient resources to carry out their responsibilities, besides with pleading with Kenyans to reject rhetoric or actions that incite violence.
The statement was signed by US Ambassador Robert Godec, Nic Hailey (UK), Jutta Frasch (Germany), David Angell (Canada), Ralf Heckner (Switzerland), Johan Borgstam (Sweden), Mette Knudsen (Denmark), Victor Ronneberg (Norway), Tarja Fernandez (Finland), John Feakes (Australia) and Netherlands' Frans Makken.
CORD leaders have been on the neck of IEBC demanding for its disbandment.
On Monday last week, Opposition leaders staged demonstrations at the commission's headquarters with the aim of forcing the leadership out of office.
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