Odinga takes poll defeat challenge to court
2013-03-16 17:00
Nairobi - Defeated Kenyan presidential candidate Raila
Odinga on Saturday filed a legal challenge to the election result, alleging
that electoral authorities had colluded with his rivals.
"Barring mass violence, there is no crime higher than
subverting the outcome of a presidential election," Odinga, who is prime
minister, said outside the Supreme Court.
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta narrowly beat Odinga,
earning 50.7% of the ballots cast in the March 4 vote.
Odinga has rejected the result and accused the Independent
Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of entering into a "fraudulent
enterprise" with Kenyatta's The National Alliance (TNA) party to rig the
polls.
Ballots were not properly verified and voter registration
lists were manipulated, Odinga also alleges.
Registrar Gladys Sholloei confirmed the Supreme Court had
received the petition and that it would take nine days to process it before
judges had the opportunity to issue a ruling.
Police clashed with Odinga supporters outside the court,
with demonstrators wearing t-shirts reading "Democracy on Trial" and
singing the national anthem.
At one point police hurled tear gas at the crowd, who pulled
back before surging forward to within 50m of the Supreme Court's gates.
Legitimate legal process
Security forces later retreated, allowing the crowd to move
closer to the building. One person was reported injured in the clashes.
Lawyers for Odinga called their petition before the court a
"legitimate legal process" that ensures the will of the people is
respected.
"We are not interested in side shows," said Odinga
lawyer Mutula Kilonzo. "It would be completely unethical to advice our
client to move to court if there was no sufficient evidence."
Voters went to the polls on March 4, five years after a
disputed presidential runoff vote between incumbent Mwai Kibaki and Odinga
unleashed a wave of bloodshed.
Odinga rejected the outcome and alleged vote rigging in the
December 2007 poll. Clashes between supporters of the two candidates left more
than 1 000 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced
The two formed a unity government in April 2008, with Kibaki
as president and Odinga as prime minister.
- SAPA
