As the results come in, a selection of Kenyan media reports on this week's elections:

Government vows to act against those inciting post-election violence

Text of report by Kenyan radio on 1st January

It has come to our attention that a number of leaders are issuing statements aimed at inciting Kenyans to engage in acts of violence. The government wishes to state as follows:

The government has adhered fully to the letter and principle of [the] independence of the Electoral Commission [EC]. It is not party to the inefficiencies that have been experienced during the election. The government notes the statements that have been issued by all parties concerned, including KANU [Kenya African National Union, ruling party], which has put on record its concerns.

The government wishes to commend Kenyans for their maturity and patriotism during the electioneering period and the voting, as well as the vote-counting period, despite the obvious difficulties associated with the delays and lack of voting materials.

The government fully recognizes the fact that it is the voters alone who have the constitutional authority to choose those who will govern this country for the next five years. Voters alone have the power to determine winners and losers. The decision may, of course, be painful to others, but the essence of democracy dictates that both winners and losers accept the verdict of the electorate.

No-one can claim to have lost or won in the election until the last vote has been counted and the EC announces the results. No-one in this country has the moral authority to act on speculation as to how the results may turn out to be. The process of acceptability of the electoral process is contained in the laws of the country, and the EC will act in accordance with the law.

The government will not tolerate or condone any acts of intimidation or provocation of its citizens by those who may wish to ignore the wishes of Kenyans and incite them to plunge our peaceful and beloved country into chaos. [Words indistinct] warns any leader or Kenyan, who may be tempted to sidestep our constitutional process for their own selfless [as heard] ends that any lawlessness will be dealt with swiftly and firmly in accordance with our laws.

Those responsible for the maintenance of law and order have received the necessary instructions to deal swiftly and firmly and without fear or favour with anyone who flouts the laws of our land. End of government statement.

Source: KBC radio, Nairobi, in English 1600 gmt 1 Jan 98

British MP points out "inefficiency" in election process

Text of report by Kenyan radio on 1st January

The chairman of the Britain-Kenya parliamentary group, Mr Tom Cox, has commended the people of Kenya for queueing for long hours to exercise their democratic right in the most difficult conditions during the elections.

Cox, who is also the Labour MP, said in a press statement to KBC [Kenya Broadcasting Corporation] that the whole electoral process would work far more smoothly if political trust, goodwill and confidence was established between political parties.

Mr Cox was invited to Kenya by the National Assembly to observe both the election campaign and the situation at various polling stations on election day, which was later extended to two days.

Having observed two elections in Kenya, both in 1992 and 1997, and after meeting and discussing the election arrangement at length with the chairman of the Electoral Commission [EC] and two commissioners, one of whom was appointed by the opposition, Mr Cox has made the following suggestions to help [the] democratic process:

• That the EC must be a permanent standing commission with its own secretariat in which political parties have full confidence;

• that the commission needs to look at issues on an ongoing basis, such as the development of electoral registers, to enable accurate records of voters to be kept and checked; that polling station facilities should be established well before elections;

• that there must be some form of postal vote for the sick, disabled and for Kenyans living abroad; that the system of voters' cards should be abolished if the system is abused, as it clearly is, and instead identity cards could be presented at the polling stations;

• that the system of holding three elections [presidential, parliamentary and civic] in one is complicated and confusing and instead the civic elections should be held separately from presidential and parliamentary elections;

• and voter education programmes should be pursued vigorously between elections with political parties playing an active role in doing this.

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
 

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