From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:KENYA: COMMONWEALTH DELEGATES ARRIVE TO MONITOR ELECTIONS
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 13:57:19 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'.

Area: Africa, southern
Reference: Third World Dvpmnt
Title: KENYA: COMMONWEALTH DELEGATES ARRIVE TO MONITOR ELECTIONS


nairobi, dec 16 (ips) -- the largest group of observers ever
dispatched by the commonwealth to monitor elections in a member
country arrived here wednesday to observe the process to the
dec. 29 polls.

the group's presence in kenya to observe the first multiparty
elections in 26 years has the support of the kenya government
and the main opposition parties.

the 38-strong group, which includes support staff from the
commonwealth secretariat, is led by justice telford georges, a
former chief justice in tanzania, zimbabwe and the bahamas, who
headed a commonwealth mission to observe the 1991 general
elections in zambia.

among the group of distinguished commonwealth personalities
drawn from 17 nations are former government ministers, members
of parliament, diplomats and election officials.

the group's arrival in nairobi is the culmination of many
months' planning by the commonwealth secretariat in london.

the observers, who have no executive role, will monitor every
aspect of the organisation and conduct of the elections. they
will see whether, in their impartial judgement, the polls have
been free and fair and will submit a report to the commonwealth
secretary-general, chief emeka anyaoku.

kenya brings to eight the number of countries which have
sought commonwealth assistance with their democratic processes
since the 1989 commonwealth summit in malaysia decided to make
such a facility available to members. the others are malaysia,
bangladesh, zambia, seychelles, guyana, ghana and lesotho.

in a statement released here wednesday, the commonwealth
delegates said they were ''in kenya to observe the dec. 29
elections as observers in our personal capacities and not as
representatives of countries, governments or organisations to
which we may belong.

''our broad task will be to observe every relevant aspect of
the organisation and conduct of the elections in accordance with
the laws of kenya.

''as part of our work, we will meet all the contending
political parties and other groups who wish to meet with us and
we will be based in all the eight provinces of the country both
before and on election day'', the statement said. (more/ips)


kenya: commonwealth (2)

meanwhile, kenya's opposition parties wednesday urged
international and domestic observers to publish their reports on
last week's nomination process.

''it is important for kenyans and the international community
to know whether a viable atmosphere exists for free and fair
elections in kenya'', said the seven opposition parties in a
statement issued here.

for the elections to be free and fair, the opposition said,
domestic and international observers ''must have access to, and
be present at all polling stations. with the deterioration in
the security situation, it is unlikely that the observers will
be able to operate''.

the opposition parties have also called for a meeting friday
with observers and monitors of the forthcoming presidential,
parliamentary and civic elections. (end/ips/ha/ar/92)