Kenya sets date for repeat of elections

NAIROBI - Kenya's electoral body on Monday set Oct 17 for a repeat of presidential elections following the directive from the Supreme Court on Friday.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati said there will be no new nominations for the vote, which was ordered by the Supreme Court that annulled the presidential elections held on Aug 8.

Chebukati said opposition leader Raila Odinga along with his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka and President Uhuru Kenyatta along with his running mate, William Ruto, will be the only candidates.

"The Commission is revising the operational and procedural requirements for the conduct of the fresh election and will share details with stakeholders sooner than later," he said in a statement issued following a plenary meeting in Nairobi.

Chebukati said in light of the Supreme Court's decision, it is imperative that a detailed judgment be released in order to allow the electoral body to identity areas that require improvement in the management of the new vote.

The Supreme Court on Friday called for a new election within 60 days after finding irregularities in the re-election of Kenyatta in last month's elections.

The court ruled that the presidential elections were not conducted in accordance with the constitution rendering the result invalid, null and void. The court said that Kenyatta was not validly elected.

Four out of the six judges on the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Odinga, who is from the National Super Alliance party that contested the election results and filed a petition at the apex court to have them overturned.

This is the fourth time Odinga has lost an election, often citing irregularities.

Odinga said on Tuesday that his coalition would not participate in the rerun of a presidential election unless it is given "legal and constitutional" guarantees.

Odinga's conditions include the removal of some officials at the election board. He wants criminal investigations to be opened against them.

"You cannot do a mistake twice and expect to get different results," Odinga said.

Xinhua - Reuters - Afp

(China Daily 09/06/2017 page11)