Commonwealth observers to Kenya elections issue interim statement

Following our arrival in Nairobi, our observers were briefed by various stakeholders, including the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), major political parties, civil society as well as domestic and international observers. We then deployed around the country on 23 December 2007 and have now returned to Nairobi. We met and exchanged views with District Election Coordinators, the police, local party officials, and other observers. We were able to observe the campaigns, the final preparations prior to polling day, the polls, the count and the tallying process.

We are grateful to the people of Kenya for their welcome, the openness with which they interacted with us and their willingness to learn and share experiences.

We note that these elections were the most competitive in the country’s history.

We commend the people of Kenya for their enthusiasm, patience and determination to perform their civic responsibility by turning out in their large numbers at various polling stations, in most cases from very early in the morning. This illustrates the eagerness of Kenyans to exercise their democratic rights and contribute to the growth of Kenya’s democracy. We congratulate them for their peaceful and orderly conduct during the polls and are confident that this will further strengthen and deepen democratic culture in Kenya.

Thus far, we are impressed by the professionalism and commitment exhibited by the officials of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) in the process. The successful conduct of the poll is a credit to their planning and organisational skills. It is our hope that the electoral process will conclude in the same manner.

We observed that, to a very large extent, procedures outlined by the ECK for polling were adhered to. There were, however, aspects that did not meet the prescribed guidelines. These include:

• instances of double registration;

• some polling clerks did not adhere to the requirement of loudly calling out names of voters;

• properly identifying ECK officials and other authorized persons at polling stations because they did not have conspicuous identification.

We also noted that a number of logistical problems resulted in the late opening of some polling stations and thus delayed the start of the voting process. The initiative of the ECK to extend the polling hours in the polling stations that opened late is to be commended and we were pleased to note that voters who remained in the queue were able to cast their ballots.

We were informed that this election would be greatly influenced by ethnic considerations. If so, this would be a disturbing trend that should be addressed to ensure national cohesion and peaceful coexistence.

The failure by the state funded Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) to provide balanced coverage to different parties, as required by law, was a matter of concern to us.

We were also concerned at the reported use of state resources for party political purposes.

While we note that for the first time in the country’s history, over 100 women were candidates in these elections, we would however encourage the Government and political parties to initiate measures aimed at increasing women’s participation in the political process, in order to strengthen their representation at all levels of government.

Prior to the polling, there were reports of politically-related violence, particularly those directed against women, which threatened the polls. We are however pleased that the Election Day was conducted in an orderly and peaceful atmosphere.

We are now in the process of compiling our full report which will contain details of our findings, conclusions and recommendations. We will issue a statement prior to our departure from Kenya on 1 January 2008.

While we have expressed concerns about certain issues mentioned above, it is our judgement, as expressed in this Interim Statement, that the election process so far is credible.

As Kenyans await the final results, which have been very slow to be concluded, we urge everyone to maintain peace during this crucial phase of the electoral process and ask party leaders and their supporters to accept the outcome of the elections.

Nairobi

29 December 2007

For media inquiries, please, contact Mr Julius Mucunguzi, Press Officer, on +254 711 86 20 55 or email: j.mucunguzi@commonwealth.int