KENYA: Chief EU observer calls for independent investigation into disputed Kenyan poll

Record ID: 361759

  • Title: KENYA: Chief EU observer calls for independent investigation into disputed Kenyan poll
  • Date: 1st January 2008
  • Summary: (BN09) KISUMU, KENYA (JANUARY 1, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS PEOPLE RIDING BICYCLES/ WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALFRED OBURE, KISUMU RESIDENT SAYING: "What we are seeing today in Kisumu is that people have calmed down because our leadership told us to calm down. We don't know what will happen after Thursday. So this is just a cease-fire. The situation is not as people woul
  • Embargoed: 16th January 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5HVTRDUFA6TQ68NVY2QS9UQ5N
  • Story Text: Chief EU observer in kenyan elections Alexander Graf Lambsdorff has called for independent investigation into disputed presidential polls that have caused fatal riots across the country.
    Much of the fighting has pitted members of his Kikuyu ethnic group, Kenya's largest and most economically dominant tribe, against Luo supporters of Odinga.
    Both sides have accused the other of rigging during the December 27 poll, which passed off peacefully.

    "It is now in our opinion vital that a independent investigation is swiftly carried out to clarify doubts regarding the presidential election results, the ECK (Electoral Commission of Kenya) must be transparent during this investigation and the results of all polling stations must be published in the newspapers and on the internet in order to enable an independent audit to be carried out," said Lambsdorff.
    Lambsdorff had earlier said the tallying process lacked credibility.
    Police put the death toll at 143 and it is expected to rise from overnight violence and more rioting expected.

    "We are now faced with a very tense situation in Kenya, across the country people are being killed houses are burnt and shops looted, we urge political leaders in this country and their supporters to reach out to one another and take the responsibility for keeping this country safe from any more violence. I will say it, i have said it often before, violence has no place at all in a genuine democratic election," said Lambsdorff.
    Although many people stayed at home in the suburb areas of Nairobi, slum areas that were rife with fighting for the past few days looked calm. The government said it would not declare a state of emergency or any curfews.
    The opposition has planned a rally expected to have a million supporters gathering in a central Nairobi park on Thursday. More bloodshed is feared.
    Kisumu was mostly quiet as residents marked a subdued New Year's day. A Reuters correspondent reported hearing some gunshots but the city was mostly quiet through the morning.
    Riots had rocked Kismumu since Friday last week, and violence has been reported in various other cities.

    "There is a false kind of peace which is the absence of war, and a true sense of peace which is the absence of justice. We do not want a false kind of peace -- that the people are now not demonstrating and they are saying there is peace. There will only be peace when justice is done to the ordinary mwananchi or Kenyan. And we feel that justice can only be done when we have re-tallying, re-tallying of the votes so that we have a legitimate government on the ground," said one local resident.
    Most businesses stayed locked for fear of looters, and there was a heavy presence of paramilitary police manning road blocks on all major roads into the city centre.
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