Canadians - Send a Message to Kenya
Received today
Dear Avaaz member,
Election fraud in Kenya could trigger civil war, even genocide - send a message to your foreign minister to withhold recognition of a new president until the vote is independently reviewed:Last week, Kenya held a national election tainted with vote-tampering. It ended in a claim of victory for incumbent President Mwai Kibaki over the challenger Raila Odinga who had led the polls — now Kenya’s future hangs in the balance. Violence has broken out across the country, with roving gangs of machete-wielding youth terrorizing the population. Suddenly, this hopeful country could be sliding toward genocide.
We must not sit back and watch this nightmarish scenario unfold — but we need to act fast. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has flown into Nairobi, joining the African Union in an effort to broker a power-sharing agreement and review the election results. But if talks are to succeed, foreign governments must avoid prematurely recognizing a fraudulently elected government and locking in their power. That’s where we come in.
Please send a note to your foreign minister today, asking them to withhold recognition of any Kenyan government until agreement is brokered and the election results are independently reviewed – you can do so using our simple online tool at the link below (and when you’re done, please forward this email to friends and family):
http://www.avaaz.org/en/kenya_free_and_fair/5.php
It’s too early to tell how far the situation in Kenya could deteriorate — and we just can’t afford to wait and find out. Please send a note to your foreign minister today.
With hope,
Paul, Ricken, Ben, Galit, Milena, Pascal and the whole Avaaz team
