NAIROBI, Sept. 2 Xinhua) -- The nullification of Kenya's Aug. 8 presidential election results by the country's Supreme Court on Friday has been hailed by foreign observer missions, which termed it a historic milestone in reaffirming the role of independent institutions in promoting transparency and the rule of law.
The U.S.-based Carter Center said the decision by the Supreme Court to annul the disputed presidential election results was timely to ease political tensions in Kenya.
"The Carter Center commends the Supreme Court for conducting an open and transparent judicial process, which gave all parties the opportunity to be heard and ensured due process consistent with the constitution and laws of Kenya," the Center said in a statement issued on Friday night.
Four out of six judge bench at the Supreme Court on Friday declared the election of the incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta invalid citing massive irregularities in counting and transmission of votes.
Kenyatta's opposition rival, Raila Odinga from National Super Alliance (NASA) party contested the election results and filed a petition at the apex court to have them overturned.
Foreign observer missions had endorsed the voting exercise, declaring it peaceful, free and fair.
They later expressed reservations on electronic transmission of votes and urged the electoral body to make it more transparent.
The Carter Center on Aug. 17 urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to publish election results in order to ease doubts on their authenticity.
It noted that Friday's annulment of presidential election results injected vitality in the capacity of the judiciary to midwife peaceful political transition in Kenya.
"The ruling is both important and encouraging because it highlights the independence of the Kenyan judiciary and its important role as a key institutional pillar in Kenya's democracy," said the mission.
