AU Observers Issue 1st Report On Presidential Election

The African Union (AU) Election Observer Mission has issued a preliminary report on the repeat presidential election conducted on October 26th.

Led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, the observers noted an improvement in the electoral body's handling of the poll and maintained that President Uhuru Kenyatta's win was legitimate.

While decrying cases of electoral violence and intimidation of the judiciary, the mission also called for those with grievances to take their cases to the courts.

On the issue of the election's legitimacy, Mbeki stated: "It's an issue of a political decision that hasn't been discussed. It's a mathematical issue not political."

[caption caption="Thabo Mbeki at the Bomas of Kenya with IEBC officials"][/caption]

The mission also noted the low voter turnout in parts of the country in the wake of the National Super Alliance's (NASA) withdrawal from the repeat poll.

They promised to speak on issues of inclusivity and include it in their final report. They stated that national dialogue was for Kenyans to decide.

The observers also advised against the use of excessive force by the police in handling demonstrators.

They also noted with concern the violent disruption of the presidential election in some areas.

[caption caption="AU Election observers"][/caption]

AU observers were present in 195 polling stations out of the total 40,083.

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