Former Zambia President Rupiah Banda to Lead Carter Center Delegation for Kenya's Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: In Atlanta, Deborah Hakes 1 404-420-5124; In Nairobi, Stéphane Mondon +254- 727-582-926

The Carter Center announced today that former Zambia President Rupiah Banda and Carter Center Vice President for Peace Programs Dr. John Stremlau will co-lead the Center's 60-person delegation representing 29 nations to observe Kenya's March 4 elections.

President Banda and Dr. Stremlau will meet with key stakeholders including the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission, political parties, independent candidates, civil society organizations, and the international community, and will observe polling, counting, and tabulation on election day.

The Carter Center urges the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission to address technical issues that arose during the recent polling simulation to ensure a smooth voting process. The Center further encourages political parties, movements, and independent candidates to demonstrate commitment to the ideals of democracy and appeal to their supporters to respect the rule of law and the codes of conducts signed by candidates and political parties.

The Carter Center's long-term observers have been deployed since January and are now joined by short-term observers to be briefed in Nairobi and deployed ahead of election day. The Center is observing Kenya's election at the invitation of the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission and the welcome of political parties.

The Center's observation mission is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct that was adopted at the United Nations in 2005 and has been endorsed by 37 election observation groups. The Center assesses the electoral process based on Kenya's national legal framework and its obligations for democratic elections contained in regional and international agreements.

The Center's previous statements on the Kenyan election process may be found at www.cartercenter.org. The Center will release its preliminary findings on the Kenya election shortly after the process concludes.

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"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. Please visit www.cartercenter.org to learn more about The Carter Center.