From: Comfort Mwangi
Date: Sat, Jun 16, 2012 at 9:03 PM
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Kenya Diaspora Development Collaborative

2013 Kenya Elections: Out-of-Country Voting (OCV)-Diaspora Press Statement

The Kenya Diaspora Development Collaborative an NGO providing a platform for a global network of organizations representing Kenyans living abroad, is raising its voice and mobilizing concerted Diaspora action to secure the full implementation of the constitutional provisions allowing Kenyans living overseas to vote in the 2013 general elections. The KDDC takes the position that the spirit and letter of the constitution cannot be interpreted and applied in a manner that will have the effect of disenfranchising millions of eligible voters living in the Diaspora. This Press Statement is intended to draw the attention of the relevant authorities and concerned agencies that such violation of the democratic rights of citizens has no place in a modern democracy.

Kenya Diaspora Development Collaborative
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2012
Calling for Unequivocal Leadership Action on Out-of-Country Voting

Kenyans living in the Diaspora have welcomed with enthusiasm the constitutional provisions that will allow us to vote for the first time in Kenya’s elections. However, we are increasingly concerned about the statements attributed to a growing number of leaders indicating shifting goal posts on the prospects and preparations for the first ever Diaspora vote.

This is a call by the Kenyan Diaspora community to the nation’s leadership to act without equivocation and implement the constitutional provisions allowing out of country voting (OCV) for millions of Kenyans who stand to be disenfranchised if no action is taken.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 16, 2012 – The Kenya Diaspora Development Collaborative hereby calls in one voice to the National Leadership to act with urgency to implement the constitutional provisions allowing out of country voting. Urgent action will eliminate the confusion and the possibility of disenfranchising millions of Kenyans during the forthcoming General Elections.

As a singularly important election ushering in new leadership under a new constitution, the historic significance of having every Kenyan exercising his/her democratic rights cannot be over-emphasized. Kenyans in the Diaspora are passionately anticipating exercising our constitutional rights during these historic elections. However, the Kenyan Diaspora community is becoming increasingly alarmed by the streams of political statements that continue to be made by leaders regarding the issue of Out-of-Country voting. These statements appear to be at variance with the expectation based on the constitution’s provisions that Diaspora Kenyans will vote in the March 2013 elections. The Kenya Diaspora Development collaborative is concerned that neither leaders nor the responsible institutions such as the IEBC and the CIC are taking the appropriate measures to clarify and bring this matter to a proper conclusion. It is time to stop the politics and start the development.

The constitutional provisions allowing the Kenya Diaspora to vote in the elections for the first time are clear. We consider the apparent inclination on the part of the government to truncate these provisions on the basis of logistical and administrative considerations as an attempt to deny millions of Kenyans their chance to elect leaders of their choice and to exercise their constitutional rights. We believe that the Kenya Government has the capacity to make budgetary provisions and secure the logistical support for a successful out-of-country voting. For example, the Finance Ministry recently laid out an unprecedented KShs 1.4 trillion finance bill, a clear indication that financial and logistical resources can be mobilized to ensure the Kenya Diaspora community can vote. With a proposed budget of $50 per ballot box we Kenyan’s in the Diaspora want to eliminate this expense by voting electronically and plead with the Finance Minister to allocated the savings from this exercise into other developmental budgeted items . At the same time, the Diaspora community is ready for structured consultations with national and international actors to identify and develop solutions to make the out-of-country vote a reality.

In response to the growing concerns in the Diaspora community, the Kenya Diaspora Development Collaborative has passed a number of resolutions urging our national leaders and relevant institutions to take appropriate measure to address this important issue in a timely manner ahead of the elections.

We take this opportunity to communicate our recommendations to secure the attention of and proactive action by the leadership on this matter. We urge our leaders to take immediate action:

1. To unequivocally state a clear position guaranteeing that the Kenyan Diaspora community will vote in the forthcoming elections;

2. To immediately launch a Diaspora voter education and, subsequently, voter registration exercise in all key locations around the world having a significant concentration of the Kenyan Diaspora populations

3. To enlist the support of the Kenyan Diaspora community, host governments and other international institutions to help effectively leverage the logistical resources necessary for conducting the out-of-country vote.

4. To involve the Kenyan Diaspora community at every stage of planning and implementing the voting exercise including voter education, voter registration and the planning of voter centers

5. To immediately establish at the cabinet level, a joint stakeholders’ commission to develop the framework for and recommend steps towards ensuring Kenyans in the Diaspora can fully participate in the elections as electors, elections officials, and, where possible, as candidates.

6. To prepare and disseminate to the Diaspora community and to all Kenyans planned action and its implementation timeframe within the period of one month.

The Kenya Diaspora Development Collaborative as a platform made up of a network of organizations representing Kenyans living in the Diaspora. KDDC continues its mission to create a climate of productive and structured dialogue between the Kenyan Diaspora community, the Kenya Government, National and International Institutions committed to the broad objective of Diaspora/GOK developmental partnership. Our goal is to nurture productive and sustainable relationships with the Kenya government and engage all members of the Diaspora community in shaping and influencing the developmental decisions that impact their lives. KDDC has representation from locations around the world where Kenyans live and work. Our membership is drawn from several of Diaspora organizations that are in conversations with us.

Contact Information:
Name: Comfort Munoru Mwangi
KDDC Chair
Website: http://kenyadiasporadev.org/
Face book: Kenya Diaspora Development Collaboration
Radio: http://kenyaprogressivevoice.org/

Kenya Diaspora Development Collaborative Press Statement

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