The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati has come under sharp criticism from Mombasa County gubernatorial candidates.
Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir of ODM and former Mombasa senator Hassan Omar have castigated Chebukati for postponing the Mombasa governor elections.
On Wednesday, Chebukati announced that the governor elections in Mombasa and Kakamega counties together with six other parliamentary elections had been indefinately suspended.
While addressing the media Wednesday evening, Nassir said he will go to court to compel IEBC conduct the elections on Tuesday next week.
"I will go to court to ensure we go to the ballot on Tuesday. We expect an order that the elections will be held on the stipulated date," said Nassir.
He stated that the law was very clear about postponing elections adding that there was no valid reason to postpone the elections.
"Chebukati cannot just wake up one morning and decide to postpone the elections, we wont allow this," Nassir said.
He said that only a security threat, a natural calamity or a breach in how an election should be conducted warrants the postponement of an election as outlined by 2010 constitution.
Nassir further alleged that the initial postponement was purposely orchestrated to have low voter turnout in our Azimio strong holds.
"The elections were illegally postponed. Chebukati is the worst chair of a commission that the country has seen. He needs to be removed from that office," he said.
He added that the decision to postpone the elections will delay service delivery and development in Mombasa.
Omar on the other hand stated that in as much as they understand the pressure IEBC had, they shouldn't continue postponing the elections.
He said that it was draining them both financially, physically and emotionally and creating unnecessary tension and anxiety to the people.
"I am asking Chebukati to be bold enough and announce to us the new date. He was bold enough to announce the presidential results on Monday despite the tension," said Omar.
He said that Chebukati cannot postpone the election to a further notice, without giving out an exact date for the repeat exercise.
"These elections must move on, you can't continue doing this to Mombasa people. The country needs to move on," he said.
He also asked the electoral commission to deploy it's permanent staff to oversee the remaining elections.
Omar cited misconduct and alleged that they were compromised to assist his opponents win.
Former Nyali MP Hezron Awiti also threatened to sue the independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for postponing the Mombasa gubernatorial elections.
Awiti said that he had spent resources preparing for the elections, only for it to be suspended for a second time.
He was addressing the media at a Mombasa hotel as he said that the message caught him by surprise since there was no official communication from IEBC.
Awiti is taking a second shot at the county boss seat on his Vibrant Democratic Party (VDP) ticket.
On Wednesday, IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati announced that the the governor elections in Mombasa and Kakamega counties together with six other parliamentary elections had been indefinately suspended.
Chebukati cited threats and harassment of his officials as reason to postpone the elections for a second time.
Awiti sensed malice on the part of the commission alleging that some officials were in cohort to favour his opponents.
"I am really shocked with what is happening, I thought that the commission was independent," said Awiti.
He said that Chebukati was taking the country the wrong direction.
"We cannot allow one individual to disrupt the elections and be allowed to get away with it. Chebukati has to be serious"
He said that the delay will affect service delivery in the county and also stall the transition committee from carrying out its mandate.
He however reiterated that he was ready for the elections as he appealed to his supporters and Mombasa residents to remain calm.
