“He congratulates the people of Kenya for their impressive determination to participate peacefully in the elections, and for the patience they have demonstrated while awaiting the results,” his spokesperson said in a statement.

According to media reports, Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced that Uhuru Kenyatta had narrowly avoided a run-off by winning 50.07 per cent of votes in a credible and transparent poll. Voter turnout in the 4 March election was reportedly the largest ever in the country, at 86 per cent.

Mr. Ban spoke by phone yesterday with Mr. Kenyatta and the other candidate, Raila Odinga.

“He reiterated his call for both leaders to send clear messages of calm to their supporters, and he reminded them of the commitments they have made throughout this process to channel any electoral grievances through the established legal avenues,” said Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

“He therefore welcomes the measured statements both have made since the announcement of results. Kenyans are depending at this time on wise and responsible leadership.”

“I urge the authorities in Kenya to ensure that civilians of all ethnic and political backgrounds can exercise their right to vote in safety and security, and to guarantee that in the post-election period we do not witness the rise in politically-motivated rape which occurred in the wake of the last elections,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, said in a statement.

Monday’s election will be the first presidential polls since the December 2007 vote, which was followed by post-election violence in which more than 1,100 people were killed, 3,500 injured and up to 600,000 forcibly displaced.

As Kenya goes to the polls, national and international observers and human rights actors have warned of the risk of election violence, including the deliberate targeting of civilians due to political or ethnic affiliations, Ms. Bangura noted, adding that thousands of cases of rape and other forms of sexual assault were documented after the last elections.

“I call on all candidates to speak out against election violence, and for the Kenyan authorities to take the necessary steps to avert the risk of increased sexual violence and ensure the protection of civilians, especially women and girls,” she stated.

“Above all, the Kenyan authorities must remain alert to the warning signs and send the signal that such crimes will not be tolerated.

Also, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it is deploying a four-person team to monitor the human rights situation during the electoral period and to support the Kenyan National Commission of Human Rights as well as civil society groups.

Earlier this week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced the hope that all Kenyans will work together to ensure that the 4 March election will be peaceful and credible, and said he trusted that efforts made at many levels to prevent a repeat of past violence will be redoubled during the remainder of the campaign.

Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) had about 38 percent support and a lead of least 6 percentage points over his nearest rival, according to an official “quick count” by election authorities, Reuters reported.

Lopez Obrador of the Democratic Revolution Party had 31 percent and Josefina Vazquez Mota of the ruling National Action Party had about 25 percent.

Conservative National Action Party candidate Josefina Vazquez Mota said earlier that none of the exit polls favor the first woman candidate for a major party in Mexico. Her party held the presidency for 12 years after kicking out Pena Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, in 2000.

The PRI, which governed Mexico for 71 years until losing in 2000, has staged a comeback behind the telegenic Pena Nieto, who has pledged to open state-owned oil monopoly Pemex to foreign investors, raise tax revenue and liberalise the labour market, according to Al Jazeera. The party has been bossted by voter fatigue with a slow-moving economy and an increase in drug war that has killed roughly 50,000 mexicans.

Some 2.7 million people in the North African nation have registered to vote for members of a new National Congress, which will be tasked with drafting a new constitution for Libya.

The polls, which are scheduled to be held on 7 July, will be the first free elections in decades in Libya, where Muammar al-Qadhafi ruled for more than 40 years until a pro-democracy uprising last year led to civil war and the deposing of his regime.

“The new Libya provides a new opportunity for Libyan women to articulate your political, economic and social aspirations,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ian Martin, said at an event held yesterday in the capital, Tripoli, to celebrate women’s participation in the electoral process.

“If women have equal opportunities to fulfil their political and socio-economic role, this contributes to development, democracy, nation-building and peace for all Libyans,” he added.

There are over 600 women candidates standing for election next month. Mr. Martin congratulated them, stating that they are role models not just for the women and girls of Libya, but also for the many people who will be watching them across the globe.

“It is inspiring for all of us to see you claiming your equal political and civic rights to build a new Libya,” he stated.

The envoy also paid tribute to civil society representatives who have advocated, through social media, demonstrations, petitioning and public for a, for further change in the daily lives of Libyans.

“I congratulate you for the contributions you have made to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment to date,” he said. “I commend your practical efforts to support women to register to vote, to educate women and men as to voting, and the support you are providing to women candidates.”

Of the three polls published Sunday, two put Syriza ahead and one the conservative ND party ahead.  At the same time, polls showed a decline in percentages for the following parties: Greek Independent, Communist Party, Golden Dawn and Ecologists Greens.

According to the MRB poll for the newspaper ‘Real News’, New Democracy collects 20.1% of the votes, SYRIZA 19.6% and PASOK with 11.9%.  Independent Greeks with 7% follow Democratic Left 5.7%, KKE 4.9%, and  Golden Dawn with 4.8%. 1.6%, Democratic Alliance and LAOS 1.4%.

According to the Public Issue poll for Kathimerini, SYRIZA comes first in voting intentions with 20.8% versus 19.7% of ND. PASOK on this poll gathers 14.4% and the Independent Greeks coming fourth with 6.5%. The Democratic Left collects 5.2%, KKE 4.8%, Golden Dawn 4%, Re-create Greece 2.3% and LAOS 1.5%.

According to Metron Analysis poll for Protagon.gr  SYRIZA collects 20.8% versus 19.7% of the New Republic. PASOK is also  14.4% while the Independent Greeks collect 6.5%, Communist Party (KKE) is 4.8% and the Golden Dawn by 4%.

According to Public Issue, respondents, when asked who is more suitable for the Prime Minister’s job put Alexis Tsipras next to … “No one” with 19%, followed by Antonis Samaras 17%, Evangelos Venizelos 16%, Fotis Kouvelis 15%, Panos Kammenos 7%, Aleka Papariga 2% and N. Michaloliakos 1%.

This is clearly reflected in the campaigns of the two major parties that focused on branding techniques, putting the two politicians in the middle of their messaging systems. As specialists in both parties missed the opportunity to offset austerity measures by suggesting policies that could improve every daily life of citizens, so did campaign managers who decided to focus on ‘governmentability’ and ignore simple solutions that citizens could keep in their minds when they will approach the ballot box.

In this respect, current election campaigns seem to aim at the survival of the old, presenting parties engaged in a crisis-generated power game. They focus on party leaders, instead of issues and they still use old tools to deal with an unprecedented situation. What’s more, they continue to resist modernisation of party structure and culture.

Analysing the persuasion system adopted during the pre-election period, certain things are more than evident; for instance: bespoke solutions for citizens’ real problems remain absent from the campaigns of major parties; moreover, analysis of policies misses anecdotes and case studies, and has no reference to specific results.

Campaigns tend to focus more on the need for a mandate, instead of adopting honest and engaging approach. “Give me strength to change everything”, says ND leader Antonis Samaras, echoing the exact wording of George Papandreou in 2009. Furthermore, the mobilisation of voters is still attempted through open rallies, whereas populism and conspiracy theories thrived.

According to experienced pollsters, the situation three days before the elections has not changed as compared with the trends explored before the ban of the opinion polls. There are no differences in the election trends. There is a large figure of undecided voters, around 30%, of whom only a third feel they have to choose between the two major parties. The bulk majority is still looking for a small party to cast their votes; and this time, their options are many.

Strong government or non-governance? Pollsters agree that the two major parties have failed to push this dilemma to voters. ND and PASOK need at least 38% of the cumulative vote to secure 151 seats in Parliament. If they fail to reach this minimum, conventional thinking says a real political crisis could follow that might lead to the deconstruction of political parties, leadership change and a period of turmoil. Only one opinion poll company supports this scenario so far.

In a closed session today, an experienced pollster described the following scenario: New Democracy wins the election and Samaras is handed the mandate; when he asks Venizelos for PASOK party’s support to form a coalition, the Socialists veto the Samaras Premiership. Then the mandate changes hands and Venizelos asks ND for support, suggesting a third person from the centre-right field to lead the government. This person’s identity could raise some interesting speculation. All sorts of negotiations depend on the dynamics that will be formulated by the difference between ND and PASOK and the performance of the smaller parties.

Pollsters agree also that a third political force should emerge to support a coalition between ND and PASOK. As an analyst put it, “one of the most bizarre things in this election is the lack of cooperation between Drasi (Stephanos Manos) and Democratic Alliance (Dora Bakoyannis). If an agreement was reached, they would surely have entered Parliament and would constitute an effective arbitrator in a ND-PASOK government scheme, much better than the role LAOS played in the Papademos government.

On May 6, two distinct electorate bodies in terms of age will appear over the ballot box. 75% of people under 45 of age will vote elsewhere but the two major parties, next to 40% of the people over the age of 50 that are expected to do the same.

This attitude more or less connotes the future of major political parties in Greece. It is no different than that of the newspaper readers that grow old with their favorite newspapers and when they die, are not replaced, since the next generation is already online.

The 2-party system seems unable to survive May 6^thwith dignity. Unless they decide to change the way they practice politics.

Dr. Demetris Kamaras is the Editor of AlYunaniya.com