Kenya's re-run presidential election is expected to proceed tomorrow, despite a shooting, alleged intimidation of the judiciary and the danger of a “violent implosion” predicted to be a major blow to African democracy.
A last-minute petition to postpone the vote failed after the Supreme Court was unable to gather a quorum of judges to hear the case, the BBC says.
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The shooting follows a member of the electoral commission taking refuge in New York, saying she’d received death threats, while the murder of a commission official before the original election in August remains unsolved.
“The country itself appears in danger of a violent implosion,” The Washington Post says. “Senior election officials have warned that the outcome will not be credible. That could lead to mass protests and bloodshed - not to mention a major setback for African democracy.”
Uhuru Kenyatta, who is seeking a second term as president, said the ballot must go ahead. However, opposition leader Raila Odinga is boycotting the re-run, saying nothing has changed since 1 September, when judges ruled the previous election was fraudulent.
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