Kenya elections date announced

[Askari Kanzu]

Update: Election date set for 4th March 2013!

Friday, March 16, 2012
Breaking News: Election Date Is 18th December 2012 To Be Announced Tomorrow

Kenyans will go to the polls in historical general elections this year after all. The election date is 18th December 2012, impeccable sources have just informed this blogger. This date is set to be announced by the IEBC tomorrow morning at 11:00 am at the Laico Regency Hotel (formerly Grand Regency) in Nairobi.

This date has been arrived at after a meeting between the principals and the IEBC earlier today where it was agreed that President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga will dissolve the coalition government on October 18th 2012 paving the way for general elections 60 days later on 18th December 2012.

But keen political observers are still puzzled as to why President Kibaki has given up his 3 extra months so easily. These observers believe that working overnight and overtime it is possible for the powerful G7 faction that is very close to the president to get this commitment to the IEBC made earlier today rescinded. Although if this happens ODM can still pull out of the coalition and force the December 18th election date.

The election date has caused a lot of anxiety to Kenyans in recent times and if the announcement is made according to plan, this will help ease tensions in the country.

Kumekucha blog

 

[simplemind]

IEBC press conference announcing election date Kenya live on Citizen TV. Gone are the days President could play around with election date to his or party advantage, courtsey katiba mpya.

 

[simplemind]

Election to be held 4 th March 2013.

 

[Askari Kanzu]

Ngoma inogile. Vuta nikuvute imeshaanza!
Karua tells Raila to walk out of coalition

Gichugu MP and NARC- Kenya leader Martha Karua
Karua told the PM to walk out of the Coalition Government in October so that the elections could be held in December.
“As Narc Kenya we are doing our part but the PM has the power to do more. Walk out of the Government and save us this agony,” Karua said during a news conference at Narc-K headquarters in Nairobi on Saturday.

“We would also want to hear the voice of the Church and the civil society as the Constitution gives us an avenue to ventilate,” Karua said.

She alleged on Saturday’s IEBC announcement was suspect as the Government had favoured the December date only for the commission to give the March 4 date immediately after President Kibaki expressed his preference for it.

“The IEBC then quickly gave the date preferred by the Executive,” Karua said, arguing that this is despite an appeal coming up on March 22 over a previous court ruling on the election date.

“Elections are held within the term and not outside the term of parliament so that the incoming office holders take office before they go out of office,” Karua said, arguing that the March 4, 2013 elections would make the President, the PM and current MPs earn salaries illegally for an extra three months.

She said this was irregular and vowed not to take a salary for the extra three months if the election date does not change.

By ATHMAN AMRAN, The Standard

 

[Askari Kanzu]

Raila insists on December elections

Kisii county delegates cheer the Prime Minister Raila Odinga after opening the ODM Kisii County office in Kisii Town. PHOTO / PMPS
By Nation Team. Posted Sunday, March 18 2012 at 14:50

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Sunday maintained that December 17 would be the date for the next general election.

Mr Odinga said the date had been settled upon by the cabinet, having considered several issues that will be interfered with should elections be held in August as stipulated in the constitution.

"The August date was not good with regard to the budget reading and that is why the cabinet settled for a December date," he said.

The Prime Minister explained that since the budget is normally read in June, Parliament debate on it might go to October. This therefore necessitates the need for the current Parliament to remain in office until then.

He criticized the March 2013 date proposed by the IEBC, saying that it was against the constitution since the current Parliament would be eating into the time of the next Parliament.

"If elections are held in March, the next parliament will only have four years and five months in Parliament," said Mr Odinga.

He was speaking during a meeting with ODM delegates drawn from Kisii and Nyamira counties at the Kisii sports club.

-Full story

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Mazee hii kitu mimi naona italeta maneno...with the President pulling in one direction and the Prime Minister pulling the other way.

 

[Askari Kanzu]

Mazee hii kitu mimi naona italeta maneno...with the President pulling in one direction and the Prime Minister pulling the other way.

Kwa kiwango flani ninakubaliana na wewe. Naona wanasiasa wameshaanza kujipanga na kutumia mapungufu ya kikatiba na kimazingara ili kufanikisha malengo yao binafsi. Let's hope personal interests do not supersede national interests, as this would only mean one thing: catastrophy!

 

[kshaka]

Kwa kiwango flani ninakubaliana na wewe. Naona wanasiasa wameshaanza kujipanga na kutumia mapungufu ya kikatiba na kimazingara ili kufanikisha malengo yao binafsi. Let's hope personal interests do not supersede national interests, as this would only mean one thing: catastrophy!

come on, it's far too late to pretend now...anyone who's been paying attention on this forum knows by now that this is probably what you're wishing for!

 

[kshaka]

Mazee hii kitu mimi naona italeta maneno...with the President pulling in one direction and the Prime Minister pulling the other way.

Actually, the prezzo and the PM seem to want the same outcome on this one.....

 

[Askari Kanzu]

come on, it's far too late to pretend now...anyone who's been paying attention on this forum knows by now that this is probably what you're wishing for!

how dare you? something must be wrong somewhere with you, mr. mungiki.

 

[kshaka]

how dare you? something must be wrong somewhere with you, mr. mungiki.

It's obvious to anyone who's spent more than two minutes on this forum that Askari Kanzu and his two acolytes would love nothing more that to see Kenya ikisambaratika...cut the pretence, you've said as much on other threads. This false concern doesn't fool anyone!

 

[Askari Kanzu]

It's obvious to anyone who's spent more than two minutes on this forum that Askari Kanzu and his two acolytes would love nothing more that to see Kenya ikisambaratika...cut the pretence, you've said as much on other threads. This false concern doesn't fool anyone!

I'll simply ignore you, to be on the safe side!

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Actually, the prezzo and the PM seem to want the same outcome on this one.....

I do not see this notion. Please enlighten me. U remember the speech Kibaki gave about the election date in which he
said two different things in the same sentence and went ahead to chew out the newsreporter?...Pray do tell
this 'same outcome' thingy that you are saying.

 

[UmkhontoweSizwe]

Sisi yetu macho, kama hamtachinjana tena!? Lakini tuombe Mungu hayo yasitokee. Wakybaliane tu uchaguzi ufanyike kwa amani.

 

[ByaseL]

electoral team has set December 17 as an alternative date if it is forced by either arms of the government to reverse its decision to hold the General Election on March 4, 2013.SSo
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission acting chief executive officer James Oswago on Sunday challenged the Executive, the Judiciary and Parliament to set the election date in law to deal with the ambiguity that has been created by the Constitution and the court.

He, however, revealed that the commission had an "election operation plan" that could see the polls being held on December 17.

"The chairman already said that we are ready to abide by any ruling that will come from the Court of Appeal that says that we set a different date.

 

[kshaka]

I do not see this notion. Please enlighten me. U remember the speech Kibaki gave about the election date in which he
said two different things in the same sentence and went ahead to chew out the newsreporter?...Pray do tell
this 'same outcome' thingy that you are saying.

The way I see it, Raila is just politicking but he actually doesn't mind the election being next year. If he really did, all he'd have to do (as Martha Karua, rightly, told him) was walk out of the coalition government before August and, according to the National Accord and Reconciliation act, the elections will have to be held before the end of the year. As he shows no indication of breaking the accord, we can safely assume that he doesn't mind the elections being next year. As for Kibaki, the idea of having the election in March came out of his side of the coalition anyway....

Sometimes it pays to watch what these people do rather than what they say!

 

[Askari Kanzu]

KIBAKI MAY BE IN OFFICE UP TO MID NEXT YEAR

Sunday, 18 March 2012 23:55 BY NZAU MUSAU

MORE TIME: President Mwai Kibaki

A little known clause in the constitution guarantees that President Kibaki might remain in office as late as August next year. The clause says the president will hold office for a term beginning on the date he was sworn in and only ending when a new president is sworn into office. This means that if the elections are held on March 4th, 2013 as announced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Saturday, the new president can expect to be sworn in later that month. That is assuming there is a clear winner and nobody files a petition against the president-elect. If there is a petition, there will be a seven-day period to allow for any filing of such a petition. The Supreme Court will then have 14 days to dispense with such a petition.

If the elections are held on the date decided by the IEBC and there is no clear winner, there will be a run-off election held within 30 days. In case there is no petition, then the president- elect will be sworn in late April. If there is a petition, the swearing in will be in May to give the Supreme Court time to dispense with the petition.

In case the results of the presidential election are nullified in a petition, fresh elections will have to be held in 60 days. In case this happens and depending on the circumstances of the nullification and outcome of the new election, then President Kibaki is likely to remain in office as late as August or September when whoever is declared the winner is sworn in.

Saturday's decision by the IEBC complies with the January 13 constitutional court ruling which proposed a March 2012 election date unless the two principals—President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga— confirmed in writing their decision to dissolve the coalition. An appeal against this decision is expected to be delivered tomorrow. Yesterday, the realities of the consequences of the March 4th election date dawned on the ODM which has now threatened to go to court to declare the IEBC decision unconstitutional.

Raila insisted that the Cabinet had settled on December 17th 2012 as the appropriate date for the polls to allow Parliament to finalise the pending budgetary bills which are before the House. He said the date announced by the IEBC was not acceptable because it would technically 'eat' into the term of the next Parliament. Constitutional Implementation and Oversight Committee Abdikadir Mohamed has severally rejected this argument saying the constitutional clause that general elections—other than the forthcoming one— will be held on the second Tuesday of August of every fifth year.

Four ODM MPs Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem), John Mbadi (Gwasi), Nicholas Gumbo (Rarieda) and Edwin Yinda(Alego-Usonga) also accused IEBC of being compromised by PNU. “ODM will go to court to stop the move,” Midiwo said. He claimed that the IEBC should only have set the election date after the two principals agreed to dissolve the coalition. The January 13 ruling by Justices Isaac Lenaola, David Majanja and Mumbi Ngugi sealed off any opportunity of either the PNU or ODM top decision making organs to walk out of the coalition.

Full story

 

[Smatta]

KIBAKI MAY BE IN OFFICE UP TO MID NEXT YEAR

Sunday, 18 March 2012 23:55 BY NZAU MUSAU

MORE TIME: President Mwai Kibaki

A little known clause in the constitution guarantees that President Kibaki might remain in office as late as August next year. The clause says the president will hold office for a term beginning on the date he was sworn in and only ending when a new president is sworn into office. This means that if the elections are held on March 4th, 2013 as announced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Saturday, the new president can expect to be sworn in later that month. That is assuming there is a clear winner and nobody files a petition against the president-elect. If there is a petition, there will be a seven-day period to allow for any filing of such a petition. The Supreme Court will then have 14 days to dispense with such a petition.

If the elections are held on the date decided by the IEBC and there is no clear winner, there will be a run-off election held within 30 days. In case there is no petition, then the president- elect will be sworn in late April. If there is a petition, the swearing in will be in May to give the Supreme Court time to dispense with the petition.

In case the results of the presidential election are nullified in a petition, fresh elections will have to be held in 60 days. In case this happens and depending on the circumstances of the nullification and outcome of the new election, then President Kibaki is likely to remain in office as late as August or September when whoever is declared the winner is sworn in.

Saturday's decision by the IEBC complies with the January 13 constitutional court ruling which proposed a March 2012 election date unless the two principals-President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga- confirmed in writing their decision to dissolve the coalition. An appeal against this decision is expected to be delivered tomorrow. Yesterday, the realities of the consequences of the March 4th election date dawned on the ODM which has now threatened to go to court to declare the IEBC decision unconstitutional.

Raila insisted that the Cabinet had settled on December 17th 2012 as the appropriate date for the polls to allow Parliament to finalise the pending budgetary bills which are before the House. He said the date announced by the IEBC was not acceptable because it would technically 'eat' into the term of the next Parliament. Constitutional Implementation and Oversight Committee Abdikadir Mohamed has severally rejected this argument saying the constitutional clause that general elections-other than the forthcoming one- will be held on the second Tuesday of August of every fifth year.

Four ODM MPs Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem), John Mbadi (Gwasi), Nicholas Gumbo (Rarieda) and Edwin Yinda(Alego-Usonga) also accused IEBC of being compromised by PNU. "ODM will go to court to stop the move," Midiwo said. He claimed that the IEBC should only have set the election date after the two principals agreed to dissolve the coalition. The January 13 ruling by Justices Isaac Lenaola, David Majanja and Mumbi Ngugi sealed off any opportunity of either the PNU or ODM top decision making organs to walk out of the coalition.

Full story

We honestly dont mind, the old geezer is a performer, gave us a new constitution and set us on the right pace for development.. he has performed far much better than the previous presidents. I know you wish you could say the same about the handsome traveller.

 

[Askari Kanzu]

We honestly dont mind...

Ok, I don't have any problem with that!

 

[Askari Kanzu]

DID RAILA THREATEN IEBC COMMISSIONERS OVER ELECTION DATES?


Wednesday, the 21[SUP]st[/SUP] of March 2012 - A video currently doing the rounds on the internet appears to capture a conversation between IEBC Chairman Isaack Hassan and Commissioners Lillian Bokeeye and Muhamed Hussun in which the three admit to receiving threats from the ODM camp on the announcement of the election date.

The IEBC officials muttered the conversation under their breath just before they addressed a press conference to announce that the commission prefers a March 4 election date. Unbeknownst to them, the microphones were on and captured their entire conversation.

In the video shot by a KTN cameraman, IEBC chairman Isaack Hassan is flanked by commissioners Lillian Bokeeye and Muhamed Hussun. Hussun admits to receiving a text from ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo in which the Gem MP warned him in Kiswahili that "Tutakupiga vita" which translates to "we (presumably ODM) will fight you".

Isaack then weighs into the conversation and says he had just had a conversation over the phone with Raila Odinga in which the PM also threatened him in Kiswahili that "tutakupiga vita but wewe endelea tu" which translates to " we will fight you but you can proceed''.

Full story