Kenyan Leader Ahead In Disputed Vote Count

Daniel arap Moi, Kenya’s president for 20 years, appeared to have clinched a fifth straight term Friday, but key rivals refused to concede defeat and demanded new elections amid widespread complaints of vote-rigging.

The first official, but partial, results released by the Electoral Commission in this week’s vote had Moi leading with 39 percent to Mwai Kibaki’s 33 percent. Raila Odinga was third, with 11.5 percent.

Kibaki said both he and Odinga were asking the commission to call new elections in 21 days because of numerous irregularities in voting and ballot counting.

“We do believe Moi is going to be reasonable,” said Kibaki, Moi’s vice president for 10 years. “The country is at a crossroads. We don’t want to anticipate anything. We will take further steps when we get there.”

Eight people have been killed in election-related violence in Kenya’s third multiparty elections since independence in 1963. Monday’s vote had to be extended an extra day when ballot boxes failed to show up and ballots were sent to the wrong constituencies.