Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY AUG 16 2022

A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 16 augusT 2022
Kenya’s Ruto declared president after last-minute chaos

By CARA ANNA ernment” and said people
Associated Press who had acted against his
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — In campaign “have nothing
a chaotic announcement to fear. ... There is no room
that could foreshadow a for vengeance.”
court challenge, Kenya’s Those were important vows
electoral commission chair- from a man once men-
man on Monday declared tored by former President
Deputy President William Daniel Arap Moi, who ran
Ruto the winner of the Kenya as a repressive one-
country’s close presidential party state for almost a de-
race over five-time con- cade.
tender Raila Odinga. The 55-year-old Ruto por-
The outcome was a triumph trayed himself during the
for a candidate who shook campaign as the brash
up the East African nation’s outsider, playing up his
politics by appealing to chicken-selling days from
struggling Kenyans’ eco- childhood. He told voters
nomic concerns instead of the election was a contest
their ethnic allegiances. between “hustlers” from
Ruto received about 50.5% modest backgrounds and
of the vote to nearly 49% the “dynasties” of Kenyatta
for Odinga in last Tuesday’s William Ruto, and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua, show the certificate after the announcement in and Odinga, whose fathers
balloting, the chairman the presidential race at the Centre in Bomas, Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Aug.15, 2022. were Kenya’s first president
said. But just before the Associated Press and vice president.
declaration, four of the sev- leged that unspecified calm. electoral commissioners The message was popu-
en electoral commissioners “electoral offenses” were Odinga’s campaign has were just a “sideshow” and lar among many Kenyans
told reporters they could committed and that a win- seven days to file a chal- “pose no threat at all to the struggling with rising prices,
not support the “opaque ner was illegally declared lenge in court, extending legality of the declaration.” few job opportunities and
nature” of the final steps, without a quorum of com- the uncertainty in Kenya, a “What happened this eve- widespread corruption.
without giving details. missioners. country of 56 million people ning is an unfortunate situ- “These are people who
Screams and scuffles broke “It is not over until it is over,” that is seen as crucial to ation, I think an attempt by don’t even know the price
out in the auditorium, the Odinga’s running mate, regional stability. The Su- our competitors to roll back of bread. They don’t know
lectern was tossed from the Martha Karua, a former jus- preme Court will have 14 what we have achieved as the price of anything,” Ruto
stage, and police rushed in tice minister, tweeted. days to rule. a country,” Ruto said. He supporter Francis Irungu
to restore order as a choir Crowds of people across This is likely to be the final praised a election that for said of the political elite.
continued to sing. Kenya exploded in jubila- run for Odinga, a 77-year- many Kenyans represented Odinga, famous for his
Minutes later, commission tion in some places, and in old longtime opposition fig- a leap forward in transpar- yearslong detention dur-
chairman Wafula Chebu- anger in others. ure who had the backing ency and peace, largely ing his fight for multiparty
kati announced the official Odinga supporters shouted of outgoing President Uh- free from ethnic divisions democracy decades ago
results and said the two “No Raila, no peace!” and uru Kenyatta. Kenyatta fell that in the past played out and for supporting Ke-
commissioners who stayed burned tires in the crowd- out with his deputy, Ruto, with deadly results. nya’s groundbreaking 2010
behind with him had been ed Nairobi neighborhood years ago. In his acceptance speech, constitution, appeared to
injured. of Kibera as night fell. Reli- Ruto told reporters that Ruto promised a “transpar- many Kenyans this time as
Odinga’s campaign al- gious leaders pleaded for the divisions among the ent, open, democratic gov- part of the establishment.q

Minister: Syria ready to repatriate refugees from Lebanon

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A will get all the help they in March 2011. The large Makhlouf said, adding that Syrian refugees to their
Syrian Cabinet minister said need from authorities. number of refugees in the the state is ready to assist country have increased in
Monday that Syrian refu- Tiny Lebanon is home to 1 small Mediterranean nation returnees and give them all Lebanon since the small
gees in neighboring Leba- million Syrian refugees who makes it one of the highest that they need. nation’s economic melt-
non can start returning fled war in their country per capita host countries of Makhlouf said that includes down began. The down-
home, where he said they after the conflict began refugees in the world. shelters for those whose turn has left three-quarters
Minister of Local Adminis- homes were destroyed dur- of Lebanese living in pover-
tration Hussein Makhlouf ing the conflict that killed ty. For Syrians, living condi-
made his comments during hundreds of thousands and tions have become worse
a meeting in Syria’s capi- displaced half the pre-war since the economic crisis
tal Damascus with Issam population of 23 million. began in October 2019.
Charafeddine, Lebanon’s More than 5 million Syrians Over the past year, hun-
caretaker minister of the are refugees, most of them dreds of Lebanese, Syrians
displaced. in Lebanon, Turkey and Jor- and Palestinians have mi-
The U.N. High Commission- dan. grated from Lebanon by
er for Refugees and rights Few Syrian refugees have boats to Europe seeking
groups oppose involuntary returned home since Presi- better living conditions.
repatriation to Syria and dent Bashar Assad’s forces Charafeddine told The As-
say the practice risks en- got much of the country sociated Press last month
dangering the returning under their control over the that Lebanon hopes to
Syrian children play soccer near their tented homes at a refugee refugees. past few years with the help start repatriating 15,000 Syr-
camp in the town of Bar Elias, in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, July “The doors are open for the of allies Russia and Iran. ian refugees every month
7, 2022.
Associated Press return of Syrian refugees,” The calls for the return of in the near future.q