Following the ugly skirmishes, angry protests and acrimonious exchanges on Saturday that resulted to the suspension of the announcement of results from Thursday’s General Election, the country wakes up today with even more anxiety on wanting to know who will be Kenya's president.
As at the time of suspension, only 38,000 votes separated the two leading presidential candidates with President Kibaki trailing his challenger. Observers feel that even after overnight negotiations, it is unlikely that the audit of all the 210 constituency elections files will yield some agreement between the PNU and ODM.
As a Kenyan citizen, I am an interested party in this saga. My unsolicited advise to Kivuitu and company is to order a repeat of the presidential poll; and in collaboration with the police and political parties, put in place a strict supervisory structure on the poll. This proposed repeat poll should NOT be a run-off, but a repeat of the poll only involving ALL registered presidential candidates. I am not sure about the logistics involved but in my opinion, the poll should take place within one week.
It is obvious that there was some fraud on the presidential poll as it is unbelievable that, with only a clear lead in one province and slight lead in another, President Kibaki IS AT PAR with Raila Odinga who has a clear lead in 5 other provinces including the vote rich Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western provinces.
The riots that rocked parts of the country on Saturday will get worse should Kivuitu be naive enough to declare Kibaki president notwithstanding electoral malpractices in Kibaki's stronghold areas.
As matters stand now, the law places all powers on the ECK and its Chairman - and as he was repeatedly informed yesterday, the fate of this country is in his hands.
10h00 Sunday 30th December 2007
ReplyDeleteJournalists, party agents and observers have gathered at KICC. ECK commissioners awaited with verdict on 210 constituencies and the much awaited presidential poll. The commissioners plus party reps and a few observers have been locked in meeting all night and it is not known what is going on in that "boiler room".
PNU members are beaming with confidence, but say they will accept the ECK's verdict.
Calm has reported returned to the country, perhaps as Kivuitu's verdict is awaited.
KIBAKI has won
ReplyDeleteGreat job Phil. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteI'm glued to KTN and Reuters. The way things sound I think ODMers, or what will be left of it, will have to wait another five years. Even Moses met speed bumps along the way. Good Speed Raila.
This is just too sad ....
ReplyDeleteBROAD DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.....
Manzee !!! what we saw yesterday is snapshot of what is to come,if Kivuitu keeps on joking with this huge issue.
By the way Kibaki is trying to hang on to power, how will he govern the 5 provinces he has lost in????
12h30 local time
ReplyDeleteEarlier, Raila reads press statement at ODM campaign secretariat urging kibaki to concede defeat. Also urges ECK to conduct an open audit of all presidential votes. Raila urges ODM supporters to be calm. He says ODM "will cross that bridge when we get there" in response to a question if he will accept results if ECK were to declare Kibaki president.
Raila also questions Kibaki's resolve to rule Kenya on the basis of votes from only two communities out of a multi-ethnic country like Kenya consisting of 45 tribes.
ECK press briefing still not underway - this blogger suspects commissioners may have reached a stand-off / stalemate.
This blogger's unsolicited advise to kivuitu still stand.
What do you say Chris and other Kenyans reading this?
wow,let's hope things will change momentarily.
ReplyDeleteit will be sad for majority to be ruled through aristocracy.
Common sense and restrain must and should prevail.
There is nothing like a repeat election. What exactly is the argument? What is the ODM disputing? That there is no way the Meru constituencies could register a 95% voter turn out? I predicted exactly that a week or so ago? The problem with ODM supporters and their leaders is excitement. When the Nyanza and Rift Vally bars in the graph were going up with Eastern and Central stagnant, it never crossed these fellows' minds that the tables will be turned, then when Raila Odinga is overtaken they complain; This is damn stupid.
ReplyDeleteA repeat poll is impossible but even if it were to be held, you can be sure KAlonzo will back Kibaki which only increases the margin of Raila's defeat.