Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga has pulled out of the October 26, 2017 election re-run.
Mr Odinga said his withdrawal would give the electoral commission enough time to introduce reforms that will help deliver a more credible election.
The Supreme Court annulled the result of the original 8 August poll after finding irregularities and declaring it “neither transparent or verifiable”. The electoral commission had declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner.
It said Mr Kenyatta had won by a margin of 1.4 million votes.
The re-run was due to take place on 26 October, but Mr Odinga said: “After deliberating on our position in respect of the upcoming election, considering the interests of the people of Kenya, the region and the world at large, we believe that all will be best served by the party vacating its presidential candidature in the election scheduled for 26 October 2017.”
Odinga threatens re-run election boycott
Mr. Odinga in September threatened to boycott the election re-run if he did not get “constitutional guarantees”.
He told journalists that the fresh vote must be held in an environment where everything that went wrong can be corrected.
“We know exactly what transpired in these last elections, we know what the IEBC did and we know that if we were to go back there will be no different results and that’s why will say there will be no elections on the 17 October,” he said.
Source: BBC
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The reckless and legally shallow decision of Elder Maraga has caused this. And being resident in Kenya, I know he'd lose by a landslide. Senile oldman
When one man owns more than half the total land mass of a country, rules with incompetence such that even maize meal becomes scarce, kills electoral commission staff who will not booth lick, sacks harmless election observers and allow those that are incompetent like him to supervise the rott then what do you expect? Did I hear TT say the courts don't vote? In this 21st century, where constitutions are the supreme laws of the various nation states, it is unfortunate that one still quotes that infamous statement of that Ghanaian judge who did a great disservice to his country. Thank God the Kenyan court made no such comment, but gave a judgment that for once, Africa is proud of.
This man is a real political calculator! There is no better way to undermine a President to cause him to be elected unopposed. He will lack all the legitimacy he needs. He will need someone to contest him and there will be no one. Odinga is priming himself for a win in the next election!
what a jerk.....the country spent half a billion dollars to run the election and you forced a re-run....you won;t run????? Causing financial loss to Kenya....no.nsense
woye abowaa paaaaaaa odinga,wobe bodam ansana wawu
Tell the judges to fund the campaign. Oga money finish! Saaamiiaaa! The courts don't vote.