Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has rejected the results of the re-run presidential election that saw Uhuru Kenyatta gaining a second term.<\/p>\n
Mr Odinga called it “a sham” but made no mention of any legal challenge.<\/p>\n
Mr Kenyatta won 98% of the vote with turnout under 40% – less than half that recorded in August’s vote, largely because of an opposition boycott.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court annulled the first vote in August citing “irregularities and illegalities”.<\/p>\n
In his first official reaction to the re-run, Mr Odinga called for a “national resistance movement” including the formation of a “people’s assembly” to bring civil society groups together to “restore democracy”. But he did not explain how that would work.<\/p>\n
“This election must not stand …. It will make a complete mockery of elections and might well be the end of the ballot as a means of instituting government in Kenya. It will completely destroy public confidence in the vote,” he said.<\/p>\n
The BBC’s Alastair Leithead in Nairobi says that Mr Odinga’s response to the election result was short on substance.<\/p>\n
The opposition leader repeated claims that the re-run of August’s presidential poll was unconstitutional – lawyers from both sides are still arguing about this, and the Supreme Court has a petition pending.<\/p>\n
“We will not allow two megalomaniacs [Mr Kenyatta and his deputy] destroy the dream of freedom and democracy,” Mr Odinga said.<\/p>\n
Mr Kenyatta, who is now set to serve a second term, said if the new results were challenged in the courts he would accept the outcome.<\/p>\n
He has appealed for calm and promised Kenyans that “their neighbour will remain their neighbour” despite political uncertainty.<\/p>\n
About 50 people are reported to have died in violence since Mr Kenyatta was declared the winner of August’s election.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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