We have no apologies, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials say

IEBC officials at a past event. The electoral body's commissioners have accused the Opposition of peddling falsehoods regarding the 2013 Presidential poll outcome. [Photo: File/Standard]

Nairobi, Kenya: The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) members Tuesday appeared before a parliamentary committee and declared that they have no apologies to make in regard to the outcome of last year's general election.

The declaration came as the opposition, CORD, during the Saba Saba rally demanded for a referendum on a raft of issues among them the disbandment of the electoral body.

The nine commissioners, who are the subject of a petition by CORD, appeared before the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee and accused the opposition of attempting to subvert the will of the people through the petition lodged on behalf of the coalition's activist, Wafula Buke.

The commissioners, in their 22-page response to the petition, accused the coalition of peddling 'falsehoods' and termed the petition as 'insufficient, incompetent and lacking merit and foundation in both fact and law'.

"This petition seeks to vilify the chairperson and members of the commission for having performed their constitutional role by announcing the results of the people's choice," the response signed by the commissioners reads in part.

Apart from IEBC Chairperson Isaack Hassan, other commissioners the coalition wants out are Lilian Mahiri Zaja (Vice-chair), Abdullahi Sharawe, Thomas Letangule, and Mohammed Alawi. Others are Albert Bwire, Kule Godana, Yusuf Nzibo and Muthoni Wangai.

In the petition, CORD accuses the commissioners of incompetence and for having, individually and collectively, committed acts that polluted and compromised the results of the March 2013 election in which President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared winner.

The petition further notes the nine commissioners were unfit to hold office and that their collective and individual conduct during the March 2013 poll was inconsistent with the actions of a fair arbiter.