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Post-Election Rioting Kills 124 in Kenya
Protesters, and EU election monitors, dispute Kibaki's 'win'
By Kevin Spak
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Posted Dec 31, 07 7:23 AM CST
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(Newser)
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At least 124 have died in rioting that escalated across Kenya today in anger over president Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election victory. Police fired live ammunition at protesters, who threw stones, wielded machetes and burned cars and buses. Supporters of opposition candidate Ralia Odinga, who led in the vote count until the last minute, say Kibaki rigged the election, and EU election observers also threw doubt on the results, Reuters reports.
The EU's chief observer said monitors in one district saw a last-minute increase of 25,000 votes for Kibaki over the tally they had certified, and refused to declare the election free and fair. But the US, which cooperates with the Kibaki government on anti-terror measures, supported the election commission's ruling and congratulated Kibaki on his re-election, the Guardian reports.