The government will form a special select committee of Parliament to spearhead dialogue on the IEBC stalemate, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.
He said the joint committee will be set up in accordance with the standing orders of the National Assembly and Parliament.
Uhuru said he reached the decision after consulting religious leaders, and Speakers Ekwee Ethuro (Senate) and Justin Muturi (National Assembly).
He said in an address to the country on Wednesday that Jubilee will nominate its members to the committee in a meeting on Thursday.
The President said all public and private sector stakeholders should be given an opportunity to offer submissions to the joint committee.
“Stakeholders from both sides will form a joint select parliamentary committee and allow public participation,” said Uhuru.
He said dialogue is welcome but added that this must be within the framework of the constitution.
Cord leader Raila Odinga, who has been pushing for the dialogue, told KTN by phone that the President’s directive was welcome.
Raila noted that Cord is ready for dialogue and believes it will help.
But he said: “We will respond to the development tomorrow. We are going to consult after seeing the content of the statement.”
The opposition had released the list of member s to spearhead talks with the government on the fate of the IEBC.
They are Senators James Orengo (Siaya) and Johnstone Muthama (Machakos), Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu, Suna East’s Junet Mohammed and Mombasa woman representative Mishi Mboko.
Chief of Staff Andrew Mondoh said in a statement that the teams will have joint secretaries – Paul Mwangi and Grace Katasi.
Cord has been holding weekly protests for the removal of IEBC commissioners over claims of corruption.
But the government banned the demonstrations, Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery saying they have led to loss of lives and destruction of property, which cannot be condoned any longer .
Cord has asked its members to withdraw from the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee until further directions are given by the coalition’s leaders.
Orengo told the media after a parliamentary group meeting that all members of the coalition would withdraw from what he termed as “bipartisan parliamentary process on IEBC”.
But Cord posits that the ongoing deliberations do not agree with their quest that the pathway to dialogue on IEBC be structured.
