Geopolitics
Governance/Geopolitics
UN, African Union pledge to help Kenya ensure credible rerun of presidential pol

Just Earth News | @Just Earth News | 23 Oct 2017, 07:16 pm Print

UN, African Union pledge to help Kenya ensure credible rerun of presidential pol

Staton Winter

New York, Oct 23(Just Earth News): The heads of the United Nations and the African Union have expressed their organizations' commitment to assist Kenya in ensuring a credible and transparent process in the forthcoming rerun of the recent presidential election.

In a joint statement issued Sunday by the two organizations, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat urged all political actors, parties and their supporters to create conditions for a peaceful election and refrain from any act of violence.

On 1 September, the Supreme Court of Kenya nullified the August 2017 election and ordered the holding of a new one.

“It is critical that all concerned work towards the preservation of calm and peace in the country,” the statement said.

The two leaders said that they continue to closely monitor developments in Kenya, in the light of the forthcoming election, calling on all stakeholders to cooperate with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the constitutionally-mandated body to conduct the election.

They stressed the need for the Kenyan security services to exercise restraint, use minimal force in performing their duties and respect the freedom and political liberties of all Kenyans.