AU praises Kenya

Leader Joachim Chissano told journalists in Nairobi that the East African nation seems to have learnt from the experiences of its 2007 presidential polls.

“We are relieved to find that the election preparations are complete and are spearheaded by competent officials,” he said during a meeting with senior officials of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Nairobi.

“The exercise should pass without any incidences not only due to the new methods and technology deployed, but also due to the commitment on the part of all stakeholders involved,” he said.
“This has given us confidence that the elections will be well conducted.”

Chissano, a former Mozambican President who is heading a 60-member Africa AU Observation Mission to the March 4 general elections in Kenya, noted that the electoral officials seem to have done their homework because they have put in place the experience they gathered from observing other successful elections that have been held in the continent in the past year.

The March elections are the first under Kenya’s new constitution, promulgated in 2010.
To promote decentralisation, Kenyans will vote for a president and a host of local positions in 47 newly-created counties.

Observers say the polls are significant because they will be the very first to be held since the 2007/2008 post-election violence, when, within a 7 week period following the polls, and as a direct consequence of the contested results, thousands of civilians were victims of serious crimes, including killings, sexual and gender-based violence, forced internal displacements, destruction of properties.
Chissano commended that the big peace rally that was conducted last Sunday.

“By publicly committing to up hold peace during and after the elections, the presidential candidates have shown that there has been a consolidation of democracy in Kenya,” he said.

He noted that the east African nation’s road to democracy indicates that it is possible to convert a bad situation into a positive one.

The mission head, however, cautioned Kenyans about celebrating now.
“A lot of emotions will be generated when the elections comes and so the AU wants to caution, political parties, civil society and voters to think about the future of Kenya in all their actions, “ he said.

“Things can still go wrong and so everyone should recommit every day to ensure that elections are conducted in a free and fair manner,” Chissano noted.

He added that the constitution as well as supplementary legislation has laid a firm foundation for peaceful elections. — AFP.