Kenya is going to need to hold another election
Billy Mutai/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
In a new twist in the ongoing presidential election saga in Kenya, the country’s Supreme Court threw out the result of last month’s election and ordered a new one, on a 4-2 vote. [NYT / Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura]
This is a big win for opposition party leader Raila Odinga, who asked the court to reconsider the election results, alleging they were fraudulent. [The Guardian / Jason Burke]
And it’s a stunning and historic blow to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta; the ruling marks the first time any court in Africa has invalidated the election of a sitting president. [CNN / Laura Smith-Spark and Farai Sevenzo]
Since the election was held, Odinga and his supporters have been insisting there was malfeasance. The court basically agreed with them, saying there were too many irregularities during the election to ignore, including missing watermarks on some voting forms. [NPR / Bill Chappell]
However, independent arbiters who observed the election, including former US Secretary of State John Kerry, said they didn’t witness vote tampering on election day. Some outside observers have since said the process of transmitting votes electronically could have gone awry. [Associated Press]
Kenyatta’s message has wavered between saying he respects the outcome of the ruling and calling members of the Supreme Court “crooks.” [BBC]
American and European diplomats praised the ruling and said it has big implications for the democratic process in Kenya, as well as on the entire continent, which is known for suspect elections. [Washington Post / Rael Ombuor and Paul Schemm]
www.fotavgeia.blogspot.com
Billy Mutai/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
In a new twist in the ongoing presidential election saga in Kenya, the country’s Supreme Court threw out the result of last month’s election and ordered a new one, on a 4-2 vote. [NYT / Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura]
This is a big win for opposition party leader Raila Odinga, who asked the court to reconsider the election results, alleging they were fraudulent. [The Guardian / Jason Burke]
And it’s a stunning and historic blow to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta; the ruling marks the first time any court in Africa has invalidated the election of a sitting president. [CNN / Laura Smith-Spark and Farai Sevenzo]
Since the election was held, Odinga and his supporters have been insisting there was malfeasance. The court basically agreed with them, saying there were too many irregularities during the election to ignore, including missing watermarks on some voting forms. [NPR / Bill Chappell]
However, independent arbiters who observed the election, including former US Secretary of State John Kerry, said they didn’t witness vote tampering on election day. Some outside observers have since said the process of transmitting votes electronically could have gone awry. [Associated Press]
Kenyatta’s message has wavered between saying he respects the outcome of the ruling and calling members of the Supreme Court “crooks.” [BBC]
American and European diplomats praised the ruling and said it has big implications for the democratic process in Kenya, as well as on the entire continent, which is known for suspect elections. [Washington Post / Rael Ombuor and Paul Schemm]
www.fotavgeia.blogspot.com
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