Wednesday November 1, 2017
African poll observers are tight-lipped on endorsing the credibility of fresh presidential election that saw President Uhuru Kenyatta easily reelected with record 98 per cent win.
African Union election observer mission chairman Thambo Mbeki yesterday declined to endorse the controversial October 26 poll despite indicating that there was smooth polling and tallying of results.
Mbeki, the former South African President, said the mission will assess the poll based on AU's Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance laying down the manner member nations should conduct elections.
“We are not making any judgment on the credibility of this election now. We will assess what happened here in our final report and give our recommendations soon because the leadership of Kenya would like to look at them,” he said.
The presidential rerun was marred by isolated clashes between police and opposition supporters.
National Super Alliance leaders led by Raila Odinga's poll boycott also contributed to very low voter turnout in their strongholds.
Mbeki said the AU's Charter policy statement on elections requires governments to facilitate “inclusive processes” for all citizens to participate in the poll.
“Countries should provide peaceful conditions for people to participate freely and without hindrance to participate in selecting the government of their choice,” he said.
The East Africa Community election observer mission chaired by former Ugandan Speaker Edward Rugumayo also endorsed the fresh poll from polling exercise to tallying of results.
Rugumayo, however, could not give the election a clean bill of health in the mission's preliminary report until they assess credibility in results transmission.
The AU mission backed the decision by IEBC chaired by Wafula Chebukati to indefinately postpone elections in Raila's volatile stronghold counties of Homa Bay, Kisumu, Migori and Siaya due to insecurity.
Mbeki pointed out that IEBC improved its technical conduct of carrying out the election through availing hard copies of voters register at all polling stations.
“The mission calls upon all parties that feel aggrieved by this election to follow legal processes in challenging any aspect of the electoral process,” he said.
Chebukati on Monday evening declared Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto winners after garnering 7.4 million votes of 7.6 million voter turnout.
The turnout was far below the August 8 poll with stood at 15.6 million of 19.6 million registered voters.
AU mission, in its preliminary report, decried the politician's attempt to intimidate the Judiciary from the warning issued by Chief Justice David Maraga.
“The African Union stands ready to assist the sister people of Kenya as they navigate the post-election period. Kenya is an important country in the region and the continent,” Mbeki said.
He, however, said NASA was right and entitled to present irreducible minimums on election reforms for a credible poll but said AU mission has no obligation of assessing whether the demands were “good or bad.”