UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The heads of the United Nations and the African Union (AU) have expressed their organizations' commitment to assist Kenya in ensuring a credible and transparent process in the upcoming presidential election rerun.
In a joint statement issued Sunday by the two organizations, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat urged all political actors, parties and their supporters to create conditions for a peaceful election and refrain from any act of violence, a UN press release said on Monday.
On Sept. 1, the Supreme Court of Kenya nullified the August 2017 election and ordered the holding of a new one.
"It is critical that all concerned work towards the preservation of calm and peace in the country," the press release said, citing the statement.
The two leaders said that they continue to closely monitor developments in Kenya, calling on all stakeholders to cooperate with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the constitutionally-mandated body to conduct the election.
They stressed the need for the Kenyan security services to exercise restraint, use minimal force in performing their duties and respect the freedom and political liberties of all Kenyans.
Standoff between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga continued to divide Kenya as the Thursday repeat elections draw near.
The leaders have maintained their hardline positions on the polls, with Kenyatta saying the elections must go on for the country to move forward while Odinga is determined to stop them, insisting that there would be no elections on Oct. 26.
