The Zimbabwe Gazette Daily News Online - Kenya opposition accuse govt of trying to rig vote

Home

World News

Kenya opposition accuse govt of trying to rig vote

(1 vote)

By Chief Editor, on December 11 2007 00:24

Favoured : 41

Kenya's main opposition party accused the government on Monday of bribing voters and risking regional insecurity by trying to rig polls due on December 27.

"A rigged electoral process will cause such chaos and political instability in Kenya, not only here but in the entire East Africa region," presidential challenger Raila Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), told Reuters.

But a spokesperson for President Mwai Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) rejected the allegations and said ODM was making accusations in preparation for losing at the ballot box.

"They are actually sensing defeat," said PNU press secretary Dismas Mokua.

The election is shaping up to be the closest ever in East Africa's biggest economy, with Kibaki trailing his former ally, Odinga, in most recent opinion polls.

The campaign period has been marred by bloodshed, most of it during the internal party primaries last month to pick candidates for parliamentary seats.

Thousands of people have been displaced by political violence, particularly in the western Mount Elgon district and the Kuresoi area of the vast Rift Valley province. Sixteen have died.

On Monday, senior ODM figures met the United States ambassador to Kenya, Michael Ranneberger, to air their concerns, including allegations that PNU voters were being transported to political rallies where they were given cash to back Kibaki.

"This government is preparing to steal the election," said one senior ODM leader, William Ruto. "The signs are very clear."

ODM also accuses Kibaki's administration of planning to use the supposedly impartial civil service to influence the vote.

But Mokua, the PNU spokesperson,, rejected that too, saying the only government employees used in the party's campaigns were the president's bodyguards. -- Reuters

Share This Story On:

Free social bookmarking plugins and extensions for Joomla! websites!

Users' Comments

Average user rating

Add your comment

[+] Show form

[-] Hide form

No comment posted

mXcomment 1.0.5 © 2007-2008 - visualclinic.fr
License Creative Commons - Some rights reserved

Campaigning hots up in Kenya

Advertiser Links

Latest News
Popular

Newsflash

The Zimbabwean government’s plan of distributing basic food commodities to its supporters in the disguise of giving food to the underpriviledged population is slowly being exposed.
Read more...