NAIROBI, July 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S.-based observer group, The Carter Centre on Thursday called on Kenyan politicians and other key stakeholders to shun electoral violence ahead of the tightly contested Aug. 8 elections.
In a pre-election statement released in Nairobi, the Center which is observing the elections urged Kenyans to denounce all acts of violence and violations of the electoral Code of Conduct.
"Candidates also should refrain from using any campaign tactics or language that could incite their supporters to engage in violent or illegal behavior," it said.
Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and former Senegalese Prime Minister Aminata Toure will co-lead the Carter Center's election observation mission in Kenya.
The two were picked by the organization to lead a team of more than 50 observers who will be monitoring polling and tabulation of the Aug. 8 elections throughout the country.
The Carter Center said its pre-election statement is based on the work of the Center's core team and 12 long-term observers, who have been in the country since mid-April and have visited 37 counties and 153 constituencies and attended more than 50 rallies to date.
The Carter Center lauded the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on its efforts to keep the Aug. 8 election on track despite many challenges
It noted the heightened political competition in Kenya that has resulted from the devolution of power to the counties and the inclusion of many independent candidates, calling it evidence of a strengthening democratic culture.
The Center said it remains concerned about the rising tensions witnessed in the campaigns and the level of violence that has prevailed throughout the pre-election period.
It said recent calls by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his main challenger, Raila Odinga, for an end to political intolerance are encouraging but insufficient.
More than 60 short-term observers, led by Kerry and Toure, will join the team on the ground shortly before the election and fan out across the country on election day to assess the voting, counting, and tabulation processes.
The observer group also said the IEBC should take steps to increase transparency and communication with electoral stakeholders and the general public so that they are effectively informed during the remaining electoral period.
"Candidates should refrain from making unsubstantiated attacks on the credibility and impartiality of the IEBC and the courts," it said.
The group said the intensity of the campaign has increased as poll day draws near, bringing an increase in the number of reported violations of the electoral Code of Conduct.
The observer group noted a lack of education on voting day procedures with less than two weeks until the election and urged the IEBC, political parties, and civil society to use the available time before election day to increase voter education and outreach efforts.
