by Ronald Njoroge
NAIROBI, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's local observer group on Wednesday called for radical changes to the electoral laws to help fix irregularities, a few days after conclusion of the Oct. 26 repeat presidential polls.
The reforms should follow a comprehensive audit of the electoral processes, Regina Opondo, chair of the steering committee of the Elections Observation Group, told a media briefing in Nairobi.
"The process of developing new electoral laws should involve as many stakeholders as possible," Opondo said.
On Monday, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission declared President Uhuru Kenyatta as winner of the Oct. 26 repeat presidential polls, which was boycotted by the main opposition alliance, the National Super Alliance.
Opondo said the voter register still remains a contentious issue that must be addressed.
"Our voter register audit indicates that the electoral body has not managed to fully clean up the register," she said.
There is also need for regulations to guide campaign finance, Opondo said. "This area remains weak and thus the competition is not on a level playing field."
The group also called for new electoral reforms to include enforcement of the electoral offenses laws to ensure all political players abide by the constitution.
Opondo also urged continuous and consistent voter education throughout the electoral cycle to help citizens see through fake news and misinformation.
