Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sat lashed out at the judiciary for overturning his re-election, in addition to refused opposition demands to supervene upon the tarnished polls commission.
According to Kenya’s Standard Media, President Uhuru threatened to ‘deal with’ the Judiciary should he hold upwards re-elected inward threescore days.
While repeating his assertion that he respected the Supreme Court decision, a bellicose Kenyatta laid the phase for a bitter in addition to tense re-run of the presidential election which must accept house earlier Oct 31.
Chief Justice David Maraga on Fri declared Kenyatta’s victory inward August 8 polls “invalid, aught in addition to void”, pointing to widespread irregularities inward the electronic transmission of vote results.
“Every fourth dimension nosotros create something a guess comes out in addition to places an injunction. It can’t larn on similar this … in that location is a occupation in addition to nosotros must cook it,” said Kenyatta.
“I retrieve those robes they apparel brand them retrieve that they are to a greater extent than clever than the residue of us Kenyans,” Kenyatta said of the Supreme Court judges, taking specific aim at Maraga.
“Maraga thinks he tin overturn the volition of the people. We shall demo you lot … that the volition of the people cannot hold upwards overturned yesteryear a few people.”
On Fri he slammed the judges equally “crooks” — subsequently weeks of urging the opposition to plow to the courts in addition to “use whatever legal mechanisms that create got been created via our wonderful constitution to limited their dissatisfaction.”
Law Society of Republic of Kenya president Isaac Okera condemned his remarks equally “wholly inappropriate” in addition to “ominous”.
– Fate of election officials –
Meanwhile the fate of the electoral committee (IEBC) was shaping upwards equally the adjacent battle betwixt Kenyatta in addition to Odinga, heirs to a dynastic rivalry dating dorsum to independence inward 1963.
Maraga said the IEBC had failed to properly acquit the presidential election, in addition to that in that location had been “irregularities in addition to illegalities”.
Odinga demanded the discredited committee hold upwards replaced, in addition to IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said in that location would hold upwards about “internal changes” but refused to resign.
The previous committee — tarnished yesteryear a corruption scandal in addition to piteous treatment of 2013 polls — was forced to stand upwards downwards inward Oct subsequently widespread protests. The novel commission, named inward Jan had exclusively 7 months to organise the polls.
Kenyatta dismissed the selection of a alter at the IEBC, stating “we don’t create got fourth dimension for whatsoever to a greater extent than reforms.”
He defendant Odinga of seeking to derail the election “to bring together the authorities through the dorsum door” yesteryear forcing a coalition government.
“Let IEBC create their job, permit them declare the appointment (of a novel election) in addition to Raila permit us reckon at the ballot.”
– ‘End of impunity’ –
It is the start fourth dimension a presidential election outcome has been overturned inward Africa. Similar courtroom rulings create got been seen inward Austria, Haiti, Ukraine, Serbia in addition to the Maldives.
Kenya’s press hailed the ruling equally a hard-fought victory for the dominion of law, in addition to sign of a maturing democracy.
An editorial inward the Nation paper said the ruling “signalled the terminate of the era of impunity that has painfully assailed this province for besides long.”
“Kenyans create got struggled for decades to institutionalise the dominion of law. We create got fought, shed blood, lost lives in addition to holding inward search of constitutional order,” the paper said.
The press also raised prickly questions virtually the weeks to come.
“How (the IEBC) volition acquit the adjacent elections inward the adjacent threescore days inward unimaginable,” said the Nation.
“Already the NASA (opposition) leadership has declared state of war on the committee in addition to amongst or without that, its credibility has been severely dented in addition to the populace has lost confidence inward it.”
The Standard said the IEBC must “clean upwards house”.
“What Republic of Kenya needs most at 1 time is an election conducted inward a legal, fair in addition to transparent manner.”
– Toughest yet to come –
The opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) cried foul subsequently the August 8 poll over alleged hacking of the electronic organization transmitting results from over 40,000 polling stations to the national tallying centre.
NASA argued that tallying forms meant to dorsum upwards the electronic outcome were riddled amongst irregularities: unsigned, non stamped, illegible or lacking series numbers or watermarks.
While Maraga cited “irregularities in addition to illegalities”, his total ruling has non yet been published.
Observers create got warned that the novel election could choose fifty-fifty to a greater extent than tension to a province where politics is largely divided along tribal lines.
“Kenya simply had a hard in addition to controversial election, in addition to this conclusion pushes it correct dorsum into about other electoral campaign,” said analyst Nic Cheeseman of the University of Birmingham.
“The lawsuit of the adjacent election may hold upwards controversial again”.
The Nation paper warned that in that location was however a long route ahead: “This is non the end. The toughest journey, campaigns in addition to elections, is yet to begin.”
AFP