From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:KENYA: OBSERVERS SAY ELECTORAL PROCESS SEVERELY DAMAGED
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 01:24:19 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, east
Title: KENYA: OBSERVERS SAY ELECTORAL PROCESS SEVERELY DAMAGED


an inter press service feature

by james m. dorsey

nairobi, dec 16 (ips) -- kenyan hopes that this month's general
elections would persuade western donors to resume aid to this
east african nation were cast into doubt wednesday after
international election observers charged that the government had
''significantly compromised'' and ''severely damaged'' the
electoral process.

this assessment by the washington-based international
republican institute (iri), which is fielding the largest of
several observer missions, as well as earlier criticism by the
commonwealth has raised the question whether observers should
indeed observe the dec. 29 election.

commonwealth sources said they had yet to determine whether
they would go ahead with their observation plans.

iri vice president margaret g. thompson told journalists
here: ''we always retain the right to make a decision at any
time not to continue, but that decision has not yet been made.

the iri assessment coincided with a statement by six
oposition parties calling for a meeting friday with
international and domestic election observers to discuss a
boycot of the election ''in view of the grave and fundamental
concerns raised by the opposition political parties on the real
threat to the condition of a free and fair election''.

the parties said their decision to take part in the election
would depend on the government meeting a number of demands,
including a repeat of the nomination process in 57 of the 188
constituencies.

they said in those constituencies either the ruling kenya
african national union (kanu) was the only party to have fielded
candidates or opposition candidates were prevented from putting
forward their candidacy at last week's nomination process.

the opposition also called for security measures to protect
candidates, the presence of observers at the nominations that
need to be repeated, a stop to government-inspired violence
and the delivery of two copies of the master roll of the voters'
registry to each party campaigning in the election.

this will be the first multiparty election held in kenya
since independence 29 years ago. (more/ips)


kenya: observers (2)

in a statement released wednesday, the iri expressed ''fears
that the overall (election) process has been significantly
compromised by the government of kenya on behalf of the ruling
party''.

''the electoral process has been severely damaged by the
government of kenya's centralised and systematic manipulation of
the administrative and security structure of the state to the
ruling party's advantage'', the document charged.

''with few exceptions, there is no discernible distinction
between the government and the ruling party''.

iri also spoke of ''official misuse of police forces, and in
general the use of the state's physical, human and substantial
monetary resources to the benefit of the ruling party''.

''incidents discovered by iri teams regarding the purchase of
national identification and voter cards, and the liberal
disbursement of money to influence candidates and voters'' it
said, was ''especially disturbing''.

iri criticised the government for not granting political
parties equal access to state-run radio and television while
expressing concern about ''the harassment and bribing of
journalists as well as the lack of complete guarantees on
freedom of the press''.

the kenya government could redress the situation, iri
suggested, among other things, by issuing clear orders to all
local administration officials to guarantee the free movement,
right of assembly and security of all participants in the
electoral process.

the government could also ensure the secrecy of the ballot,
redefine the news criteria of the state-run kenya broadcasting
corporation as well as the kenya news agency, and expedite the
issuance of credentials to domestic election monitors.

''there are lots of things that can be resolved if the
government of kenya has the will to do so. we hope that the
suggestions we make will be put in place so that the elections
can proceed smoothly'', iri's thompson said.

in meetings held earlier with iri delegates, kenyan vice
president george saitoti and attorney general amos wako claimed
many of their suggestions were already being addressed by the
government.

''it is important to make sure that there is no violence. but
violence is not a kanu monopoly. i'm having a lot of problems
because i'm standing against the (opposition) democratic party
secretary general in my constituency. they are the ones bringing
in people, they are throwing stones'', saitoti said.
(end/ips/jmd/ar/92)