Pope Francis
Pope Francis Prays for Kenya over Thursday Poll
As October 26th date for the presidential election re-run, comes closer upon Kenya, Pope Francis has said he is praying “that the whole country might be able to face the current difficulties in a climate of constructive dialogue, having at heart the search for the common good.”
Pope Francis on Sunday also called for “constructive dialogue” in Kenya where he also said he was following the disputed election situation with “close attention”
“I am paying close attention in these days to Kenya, which I visited in 2015,” Francis told pilgrims and tourists gathered for the Angelus prayer.
Kenya’s Supreme Court overturned the August 8th election victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta following petition by the lead opposition, Raila Odinga.
The Kenyan electoral umpire, overturned the election citing “irregularities” in the transmission of the results.
However, the election re-run may hold without any restructuring of the electoral system, especially, the electoral body which Odinga has condemned as partisan.
One of the seven kenya electoral commissioners, Roselyn Akombe resigned her position, stating that she could not guarantee a free and fair election.
The ruling, unprecedented in Africa, has plunged the country into its worst political crisis since post-election violence in 2007 and 2008 left 1,100 people dead.
On Friday, both Kenyatta and Odinga made calls for election peace, while making veiled digs at each other on Kenya’s annual Heroes Day
Akombe’s resignation statement read in part: “For many months now, I have questioned my role as a Commissioner at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. But I have soldiered on hoping that we could collectively find a way of addressing the crisis our country faces today.
I have agonized over the decision to leave my committed IEBC FIELD staff and my country. My decision to leave the IEBC will disappoint some of you, but it is not for lack of trying. I have tried the best I could do given the circumstances. Sometimes, you walk away, especially when potentially lives are at stake. The Commission has become a party to the current crisis. The Commission is under siege.
It has become increasingly difficult to continue attending plenary meetings where Commissioners come ready to vote along partisan lines and not to discuss the merit of issues before them. It has become increasingly difficult to appear on television to defend positions I disagree with in the name of collective responsibility. I have concluded that I am no longer making any significant contribution to the Commission and to my country as a Commissioner”
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