ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo says nomination of Mr AhMed Issack Hassan to head the Independent Interim Electoral Commission (IIEC) will sail through in Parliament. Midiwo said he had not seen any resistance towards the nomination of Hassan to head the Commission. “Hassan’s nomination is as good as done because nobody has came out to oppose the move,” said rho Gem MP.
Midiwo was speaking in Kisumu. “Although I cannot speak for other MPS, the position is that Hassan is likely to get Parliament’s nod when the matter comes before the floor,” he added.
The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Constitution Review appointed the city lawyer to head the IIEC, but his fate rests with Parliament. In February, Parliament rejected the nomination of Cecil Miller to chair the IIEC forcing PSC to conduct fresh recruitment.
Midiwo said MPs wanted to deal with the formation of the IIEC because the country was treading on dangerous grounds without an electoral. body. We have pending Parliamentary and civic elections due to lack of an electoral body. The faster we put the body in place the better,” he added. He said Parliament was handling the matter carefully after it sanctioned the disbanding of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK). Former Constitution of Kenya Review Commission Secretary PLO Lumumba asked Parliament to give priority to establishment of an electoral commission once it resumes. Lumumba faulted Parliament for disbanding ECK without putting in place transition mechanisms.
