Africa-Press – Kenya. ODM Leader Raila Odinga has said African countries should rethink the use of technology in elections.
“Existing election laws are not seen to assemble an electoral system that people believe is transparent,” he said.
“Some people have taken advantage of technology to subvert the will of the people.”
While delivering a keynote address at the 14th annual Leadership Conference and Awards themed; “Credible Elections and Economy in Transition” in Abuja, Nigeria, Raila said there is a need for further reforms to make the voting process more accessible and reliable.
“The voting machines should be able to generate voter records so that they can confirm that their choice is being recorded accurately or we go fully manual,” he said.
He also said before investors decide to finance particular countries, they look at the credibility of their elections.
“Free and fair election is an indicator to investors that there is a government that is in place legitimately,” he said.
Management of the conference said that the former prime minister was invited because of his long-standing push for free, fair and credible elections.
“The theme of this year’s conference, which is coincidentally taking place at a time the country is going into the general election, resonates well with Odinga’s sustained clamour for free, fair, credible and hitch-free election,” the Punch, a Nigerian daily newspaper, reported.
“Hence, we expect him to dissect this topic at the conference and, ultimately, offer his views on how African countries can have enduring democracy through credible polls.”
He was accompanied by Lawyer Makau Mutua.
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