From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:KENYA: ELECTION OBSERVERS DENY BIAS
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 22:23:31 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: KENYA: ELECTION OBSERVERS DENY BIAS


nairobi, dec. 23 (ips/horace awori) -- the controversy
over accusations of government strong-arm tactics and likely
cheating in kenya's multiparty election next tuesday continues
to rumble on

speaking in meru tuesday, president daniel arap moi said
international observers who have criticised the impartiality of
the process, ''have come with set minds against kanu and
whatever we do, they criticise and blame us''.

but chair of the commonwealth observer group, justice dudley
thompson said wednesday that his team was non-partisan, and not
here, ''to interfere with the multiparty elections but to
observe if they were conducted freely''.

he did however call for the delinking of the state from the
ruling party, the kenya african national union (kanu) to ensure
the fairness of the poll on dec. 29.

kanu and the government are different institutions and should
vary their responsibilities, he noted. ''the opposition parties
have equal relevance to the government and should not therefore
be discriminated against''.

he also urged the media, especially the state radio and
televison to give equal coverage to all the political parties.

despite declarations to do just that, the state media are
giving an estimated three-quarters of their time to moi and kanu
and about a quarter to the seven opposition parties. ''and that
quarter'', said lee kathiora of the democratic party, ''is
devoted to unfavourable coverage. this is not fair''.

on the recent tribal clashes in eldoret area and other parts
of the rift valley -- stronghold of moi's kalenjin ethnic group
-- international observers have expressed sharp concern.

''we appeal to all kenyans, particularly the leaders and
influential party officials , to call on their supporters to do
everything possible to reduce this violence, which is maring
this historic elections'', thompson said.

the commonwealth observers are now in various parts of the
country, holding talks with electoral officials, candidates
and party officials. they are also attending political rallies
to assess the popularity of the candidates and to see whether
equal security is being accorded to all parties. (more/ips)


kenya: election (2)

the international republican institute (iri) a u.s. observer
team, has been in kenya longer and last week made a stinging
criticism of the nomination process which it said had been
twisted to favour kanu.

the iri listed cases where opposition candidates had been
bared from presenting their nomination papers mainly by kanu
lobby groups. kanu was able to get 17 candidates elected
unopposed.

last week-end three more candidates of the opposition parties
in turkana district withdrew from the race, handing another
three parliamentary seats to kanu.

the forum for the restoration of democracy (ford)-kenya
vice-chair man, paul muite, alleged that the candidates were
each offered about 150,000 dollars to stand down for kanu.  he
said kanu is using money to ''buy itself back into power''.

ford-kenya threatened to boycott the elections in view of
the continuing bribery of voters and candidates and the harassment
of opposition parties.

the churches, who have played a leading roll in the
tumultuous period that led to the official launching of the
opposition last december have advised against such a course of
action.

the catholic bishops told the oppostion parties that it is
''too late to talk of a polls boycott''. the chair of the kenya
episcopal conference, archbishop zacheus okoth urged kenyans to
exercise their rights and, ''there should be no talk of
boycotting the elections''.

thompson said earlier on arrival last week that elections
were not easy affairs and that opposition parties must not
expect an easy road to the polls.  he urged them to courageously
and boldly weather the storms before the elections are held.

it is statements like these, often made in informal situations
and meetings with the opposition parties that anger moi and
kanu and lead to charges that the observers and western envoys
accredited to kenya are biassed.

even favourable write-ups like a report in the london
financial times newspaper recently which said kanu is likely to
win the election have not been well received by the government.

that is because, the paper points out, that the victory will
be partly by default due to the fragmentation of the opposition,
irregularities in the nomination process, harassment of the
opposition and the use of state machinery and funds by kanu
''weighting the deck in its favour''. (end/ips/ha/oa/92)
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