Kenya’s opposition leader has said his coalition will not accept the result of last week’s controversial presidential election rerun, vowing to embark on a political campaign to “restore democracy in the country”.Raila Odinga made the comments on Tuesday, one day after President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of the October 26 poll, Al Jazeera […]
Kenya’s opposition leader has said his coalition will not accept the result of last week’s controversial presidential election rerun, vowing to embark on a political campaign to “restore democracy in the country”.
Raila Odinga made the comments on Tuesday, one day after President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of the October 26 poll, Al Jazeera reported.
Kenyatta took 98.2% of the votes, according to official results, but turnout stood at less than 40% following a boycott call by Odinga.
“This election must not stand,” Odinga told reporters, saying that the result was not credible and alleging that the electoral body was not in charge of the poll.
“If allowed to stand, it will make a complete mockery of elections and might well be the end of the ballot as a means of instituting government in Kenya,” added Odinga, leader of the National Super Alliance (NASA) opposition coalition.
“It will completely destroy public confidence in the vote. Reasonable people will not turn out to vote in elections with pre-determined outcomes.”
The poll rerun was called after the country’s Supreme Court annulled an August 8 presidential election —following a challenge by Odinga— because of “illegalities and irregularities” in the voting process.
Odinga withdrew from the repeat poll claiming reforms demanded by the opposition had not been made to the electoral commission.
Ahead of the vote, he had urged his supporters to not participate in what he called a “sham” election and vowed to transform NASA into a “resistance movement” against the government.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Odinga referred to a program of “vigorous positive political action” that will include “economic boycotts, peaceful processions, picketing and other legitimate protests”.
He added: “If there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the government.”
