|
New Kenyan Constitution Heads to rejection
22.11.2005-Kenyan voters appear to have rejected
a proposed new constitution in a landmark referendum after a vitriolic
campaign that deeply split the East African country, an election official
said on Tuesday. In a major blow to President Mwai Kibaki, who supported
the draft, the official said near-complete results showed the “no”-vote
with an insurmountable lead after the nation’s first-ever plebiscite on
Monday.
With 92% of the country’s 210 constituencies reporting, the official with
the Electoral Commission ok Kenya (ECK) said “no” had soundly beaten
Kibaki’s “yes” camp. The officials have declined to give a breakdown of
the count, but the panel had earlier released partial results giving 59%
of the vote to the “no” said, against 41% for “yes”, with a large number
of spoiled ballots.
Some Christian church leaders have
also opposed the document because it gave legal status to Muslim courts
and carried provisions that they believe could legalise on-demand
abortions and gay marriages rights. “ I have to vote ‘no’ because this
constitution wants to legalise abortion which is wrong”, said Rispa Awino.
|
