Both PNU and ODM claim victory

• A PNU document says its coalition partner ODM should apologise for alleging that last year’s election was rigged.
• Prof Nyong'o said their stand that ODM won the presidency was vindicated by the America’s National Democratic Institute (NDI) and other observers.

However, Prof Nyong’o and Mr Kosgey said ODM would respect the decision by its leader – Prime Minister Odinga and that of President Kibaki – to forge ahead with the coalition Government.

Both accused the previous Government and the Electoral Commission of Kenya of mismanaging and rigging the presidential election in favour of PNU.

Prof Nyong’o, the Medical Services minister, argued that if the Government did not mismanage the ECK and mobilise State resources in favour of PNU, there would have been no problems.

But PNU states that ODM, despite being the principal complainant, failed to make any case in support of their rigging allegations during the Kriegler hearings.

Spokesman George Nyamweya said PNU’s stand remained that the presidential poll was not rigged but was mismanaged.

“We concur with the recommendations in the report and have taken a stand on them. This has also been communicated to our members,” Mr Nyamweya told the Nation by telephone.

Vindicated

Prof Nyongó dismissed Kriegler’s findings that there was no rigging at KICC, arguing that IREC did not study alterations that went on there.

ODM representatives at the commission dissented on the findings as well. The party maintained there were alterations on results submitted at KICC and its own investigations as well as findings by NDI and other observers vindicated its stand.

The Kriegler report was released last week.