Post-election deaths in Kenya turn spotlight on America

Could the 1,000 deaths that accompanied the election in December 2007 in the East African nation of Kenya have been prevented?

That question looms large because of a New York Times story last week that suggests the U.S. government had information about the voting that could have prevented the violence. American officials dispute the contention.

But the fact remains that most Kenyans did not believe the incumbent, President Mwai Kibaki, had won re-election. There were cries of foul heard around the country, and then ethic violence flared. The body count hit 1,000.

Kibaki, who was seeking his second term as head of one of the most democratic countries in Africa, is of the Kikuyu tribe. His opponent in the election, Raila Odinga, belongs to the Luo tribe. Tribal hatred was evident when a mob set fire to a church where Kikuyu families had sought refuge from the violence. More than 35 people were killed, including many children.

Battles were also waged in shantytowns around the capital, Nairobi, and in villages.

Odinga’s supporters believed the election had been stolen by the ruling party. There were charges of vote-rigging and voter intimidation.

And an exit poll, paid for by the U.S. government, seemed to confirm that belief.

According to the Times’ story last week, Ken-neth Flottman, East Africa director for the International Republican Institute, the pro-democracy group that administered the poll, said the exit survey supported initial returns favoring Odinga.

Flottman also said he believed the results would have been made public, as a check against election fraud by either side, the Times reported. However, he claims his supervisors decided the poll numbers should be kept secret.

Congressional inquiry

Why? That’s a question the new administration of President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress must pursue.

The spread of Democracy around the world was the cornerstone of the former President George W. Bush’s foreign policy, but the legitimacy of democratically elected governments was often called into question because of situations like the one in Kenya.

Without a doubt, America’s national interest and its war on global terrorism require flexibility in dealing with foreign leaders deemed to be friendly, but the U.S. cannot be seen as turning a blind eye to election shenanigans.

In many countries, people risk their lives to go to the polls, more often than not to express their dissatisfaction with what they perceive as corrupt governance.

And just as often, governments in powers, including those supported by the United States, are willing to do whatever is necessary to hold on to the reins of power.

The Obama administration must issue a clear declaration of the principle the U.S. embraces in its quest to bring political freedom to those nations still under dictatorships.

The president should also let it be known that the violation of individual rights will not be tolerated from foreign leaders who are considered friends.

The 1,000 people who were killed in Kenya because of the violence that erupted after the results suggested that the election was tainted are a symbol of what can occur when the United States exchanges its moral authority for political considerations.