by Ben Ochieng'
NAIROBI, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's election commission head said Wednesday it is difficult to guarantee that the Oct. 26 presidential poll would be free and fair.
Wafula Chebukati, the Chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), said he will not continue to be pushed by majority commissioners to accept legal opinions that serve partisan interests that are not grounded in the constitution of the law.
"I have made several attempts to make critical changes but my motions have been defeated by a majority of the commissioners. Under such conditions, it is difficult to guarantee free, fair and credible elections," Chebukati told journalists in Nairobi.
"I m convinced that without critical changes in key secretariat staff we may not have free, fair and credible election and therefore ask the staff who have been adversely mentioned to set aside and allow a new team to function without interference," the chairman said.
Chebukati's sentiments came in the wake of the resignation of one of the seven electoral commissioners, Roselyn Akombe, plunging the country into further political uncertainty.
The Supreme Court on Sept. 1 ordered the IEBC to carry out repeat poll after annulling the presidential owing to "irregularities and illegalities" undertaken by officials.
Chebukati appealed to the two political formations, the Jubilee Party and the NASA Coalition to forge together towards political dialogue that will help restore dignity, genuine independence and respect for institutions.
He called on presidential candidates for a meeting to help chart the way forward following the current standoff over next week's elections which have been boycotted by opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Chebukati said both sides are to blame for attempts to interfere with the electoral process and issued stern warning to the stakeholders of the game to stop it.
"Interfere as you have been doing and we get stuck as a country," the chairman cautioned. "Anyone who truly loves this country will not want it to be destroyed by selfish ambitions of a few people."
After the Aug. 8 election, opposition leader Raila Odinga contested the outcome claiming that election officials rigged the vote in favor of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The Supreme Court annulled results of August presidential race in a verdict that sent shock waves to many and reverberated across the world.
Odinga last week pulled out of the race, arguing that the mistakes that brought about the annulment of the vote was most likely to be repeated because reforms have not been carried out at the electoral body.
