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African press review 13 October 2017

George Weah takes partial lead in Liberia's Presidential polls but observers expect a runoff. Kenya's Raila Odinga defies ban on urban rallies to press for electoral reforms after vowing to boycott rerun Presidential elections.

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We begin in Liberia where the papers are keeping close watch of the vote counting underway in the first democratic transfer of power in seven decades that witnessed an exceptionally high turnout.

The country's leading publications all carry partial tallies released by the country's electoral commission on Thursday, showing that presidential candidates, George Weah, and incumbent Vice-President Joseph Boakai are in the lead although the vast majority of votes are yet to be counted.

The Daily Observer takes note of the "strong start made by Sen. George Manneh Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change who, it claims, is leading his nearest opponent, Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party, by a staggeringly wide margin of 31,150 votes. But the publication rushes to underline that a run off is unavoidable.

"The New Dawn reports that Weah's lead has widened to 13 of Liberia's 15 counties, after the counting of 40 percent of the total votes cast attributing the tally to figures released by the electoral body's Chairman Jerome Korkoya on Thursday.

The New Democrat is already looking forward to a run-off on November 7, reasserting its conviction that none of the two front runners will win over 50 percent of the national vote.

The paper reports that the 20 candidates who contested the presidential polls hold the key to who becomes Liberia's next President, once they decide who to support. It claims that they have to choose between Boakia and Weah.

The paper reports that Boakia campaigned on integrity and trust with a promise to increase public spending on agriculture to boost economy growth and development and improve infrastructure mainly roads.

For his part, Weah ran on an agenda to create an anti-corruption court, reconciliation and on the promise to form a government of inclusion that all Liberians can participate.

The Liberian elections are also being closely monitored in Kenya where Daily Nation reports that political parties taking part in the vote have expressed concern over polling-day hitches on Tuesday that reportedly caused significant delays to the results, with one party calling for a halt to the ballot counting.

In Kenya, Daily Nation reserved the greater part of its front page for the electoral stalemate in the country gripped by uncertainty over whether an October 26 presidential election will go ahead.

This is after opposition leaders Raila Odinga refused to take part in the rerun poll.

The paper reports that the NASA coalition chief on Thursday also vowed to pursue a campaign of protest for electoral reform, defying a ban on rallies in main city center’s announced by the government.

The Standard asked some of Kenya's experts to put to rest wild scenarios about what will happen if there is no election on October 26.

A Nairobi University lecturer says if the poll doesn't hold then a caretaker government will have to be formed to oversee fresh presidential election within 90 days.

A second expert says he expects the status quo to remain in place, with Uhuru and his deputy, William Ruto remaining in office until another election is held. Meanwhile another warns experts not to forget that there are no provisions for a caretaker government in Kenya's constitution.

Daily Nation has a profile of Elections commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati in whose hands rests the destiny of Kenya. The paper says that Kenyans are watching with hope and anxiety how the Trans Nzoia-born lawyer will steer the nation through the repeat elections.

According to the Nation, it is entirely, “up to Chebukati to determine if peace will hold before or after the election”.

But, as the newspaper notes, Chebukati has in the recent past, appeared like an isolated man, a lone general leading sharply divided troops, pushing him to hold back on making make-or-break decisions.

 

 

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