The controversy over the proposed Interim Independent Electoral Commission persisted yesterday as members of a parliamentary select committee differed over the sele-tion of officers for the new polls team.
The Parliamentary Select Committee on constitutional review will meet on Monday for further talks on the matter that has threatened to derail electoral reforms. On Thursday, MPs rejected a list of nominees to the new electoral team after questions were raised over the suitability of some candidates, including the pro-posed chairman, Mr Cecil Miller.
Yesterday, PSC member Denson Mungatana said that the committee found nothing wrong with a deputy returning officer being hired as a commissioner to the new electoral team since he was not a permanent employee of the defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya. However, PSC vice-chairman Ababu Narnwamba said that his committee had agreed as a team to leave out any officer who had served in ECK. In Parliament on Thursday, MPs questioned why a person who served in the dis-puted 2007 elections was allowed to sit in the commission. Gwasil MP John Mbadi said that the inclusion of Mr Suleiman Bulto in the election team would compromise electoral reforms in the country, “I have information that the particular electoral official presided over the Garsen Constituency election, which had a dispute. This means that he did not do a good job,” Mr Mbadi told the House.
Mr Namwamba said that he rejected the list because Parliament had raised genuine concerns that the team must address. He said that the rejection of the list was not a surprise because Parliament was not expected to automatically accept all that was tabled before it, the Bundalangl MP said he was concerned that the rejection was also because he was absent and had not had an opportunity to express his opinion in the PSC. Any information on the matter that may come up after decision has been made must be dealt with, says Namwamba.
Any matter that may come up after the PSC has made its decision like it happened yesterday must also be dealt with:` said Mr Namwamba. He added that the rejection (of the list) on Thursday afforded the PSC an ‘opportunity to look at the list afresh. “Hopeful we will be able to come up with something acceptable before we go on recess next week” said Mr Naniwamba. Mr Mungatana claimed that a ‘high-ranking official in the coalition government called members of the PSC and ordered them to reject the list. He said that the actual reason for the rejection of the list was that there were differences over-the Nyanza region nominee, Mr Kenneth Nyaundi.
Mr Danson Mungatana at a press conference in Nairobi yesterday, He accused some high ranking government officials of pushing PSC members to reject the list of nominees to the Interim Independent Electrol Com-mission.
According to the MP, there was a silent agreement that all the slots to go to the province would be shared equally be-tween the dominant communities. The assistant minister also lashed out at nominated MP Milly Odhiambo and Water minister Charity Ngilu who reject-ed the list because the proposed chairperson, Mr Miller, acted for him (Mungatana) during an election petition last year. While Mr Miller was slated for the job of chairman, Mr Suleiman Bubo, Ms Tiyah Galgalo, Ms Hamara Ibrahim Irian, Mr Nyaundi, Dr Yusuf Nzibo, Ms Winfred Waceke Guelm, Mr Davis Chirchir and Mr Charles Masinde had been nominated to be members of the IIEC
