adminrepresenting 29 nations to observe Kenya’s March 4 elections.
In a statement issued in Nairobi, the Centre said Banda and Stremlau will meet with key stakeholders including the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission, political parties, independent candidates, civil society organisations, and the international community, and will observe polling, counting, and tabulation on Election Day.
“The Centre assesses the electoral process based on Kenya’s national legal framework and its obligations for democratic elections contained in regional and international agreements,” the statement said.
The March elections are the first under Kenya’s new constitution which was promulgated in 2010 and which has resulted in creation of several institutional changes in a bid to decentralise government services.
The elections are planned for the president, members of the newly created Senate, Parliament, governors for 47 county governments, members of the regional Parliaments and representatives of youth and women.
The Carter Centre called on the IEBC to address technical issues that arose during the recent polling simulation to ensure a smooth voting process on Election Day.
“The Centre further encourages political parties, movements, and independent candidates to demonstrate commitment to the ideals of democracy and appeal to their supporters to respect the rule of law and the codes of conducts signed by candidates and political parties,” it said. The Carter Centre’s long-term observers have been deployed since January and are now joined by short-term observers to be briefed in Nairobi and deployed ahead of Election Day. The Centre is observing Kenya’s election at the invitation of the electoral body and the welcome of political parties.
The Centre’s observation mission is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct that was adopted at the United Nations in 2005 and has been endorsed by 37 election observation groups. – Xinhua.
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