Kigali (Rwanda) – The Civil Society Elections Observers Mission (CSEOM) has praised the state and the National Electoral Commission (NEC) on how election campaigns and the polling exercise were conducted in the country.

SCEOM added its voice in commending the stakeholders during a press conference held Friday at Serena Hotel. The Chief Observer of the CSEOM, Eugene Rwibasira, said that the just concluded elections were conducted in a calm manner.

“The elections showed how well the country has developed its electoral framework,” he said. He added that polling on the day of direct elections unfolded in an atmosphere of calm and sound organization and that the polls demonstrated NEC’s impressive organizational capacity.

Rwibasira said that there was no significant incident that disorganized the 20 days of campaigning and that the RPF and Coalition had significantly more campaigning resources than its competitors who were not as visible as RPF. Part of the report says that RPF campaigns scientifically outsized both PL and PSD by more and bigger rallies.

The preliminary report of CSEOM highlighted a few inconsistencies and called for emphasis in increasing the number of youths and disabled representatives in the Parliament.

Among other recommendations in the preliminary report, the CSEOM reads in part that; “while the promotion of representation of all members of the civil society is positive and should be maintained, consideration could be made more of these reserved seats being chosen through direct elections.”

The report also commended the systems NEC used in the whole process of elections, indicating that voters’ registration was carried out in an efficient manner.

CSEOM also pointed out some significant improvements in the just concluded elections.

“These elections allowed former genocide convicts who were in category three to participate in elections for the first time in a change consistent with the principle of universal suffrage,” said Rwibasira.

The report also indicates that there have not been any official complaints so far and that the legal framework for the electoral complaints is generally adequate.
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API/Source.The New Times (Rwanda), by Edwin Musoni- September 22, 2008.

Lagos (Nigeria) – The military Joint Task Force (JTF) in Rivers State is not sucked in by yesterday’s unilateral ceasefire declared by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in its “oil war”, and said it would treat the group’s move with caution.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has also advised its members at oil locations and other facilities close to “the battle front” in the face-off between MEND and the JTF to “stay away from line of fire.”

However, some of the militant groups involved in the violence in the Niger Delta are said to be dispatching delegations to Abuja today to present a common position to the Federal Government on the condition for laying down their arms and paving the way for the smooth take-off of the newly created Ministry of Niger Delta.

Spokesman for the JTF, Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa, said while the military were open to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the region, soldiers would remain on red alert.

His words: “The unilateral cease-fire by MEND, if it is true, I think it is a good development for them, the region, the nation and the international community.

“At the JTF level, we will continue to carefully and firmly monitor the situation, exercise limited level of restraint until MEND’s new position is seen to have been actualised.

“We are open to an amicable resolution of this in-house crisis. We hope this cease-fire is not going to be another tactical deception which we are used to, and always prepared to contain,” he said.

MEND had in a statement, weekend, said “after one week of intense lopsided fighting and an unprecedented sabotage on the oil industry prompted by an unprovoked attack on one of our positions including indiscriminate attacks on civilian communities, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will downgrade the oil war code named Hurricane Barbarossa to a state of alert code named Tropical Storm Vigilant.

“We decided to ‘stop outside Baghdad’ even at a time of victory over the military and utter helplessness of the oil companies. This is again due to the passionate plea made by Chief Edwin K. Clark, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, Senator David Brigidi and others.

“We hope that the military has learnt a bitter lesson. The next unprovoked attack will start another oil war that will be so ferocious that it will dim the pleas of the elders. That bloody oil war will come in the form of another hurricane and its devastation and mode of operation will be different from what was seen with Barbarossa.

“Effective 0100 hrs, September 21, 2008, exactly one week we launched our reprisal, MEND will begin a unilateral cease-fire till further notice. During this time, the International Red Cross alone will be allowed access to retrieve the bloated floating bodies of several soldiers to avoid an epidemic.

“MEND can only speak for itself and will not vouch for the other angry groups that aligned with the operation.”

However, PENGASSAN in a statement entitled: “Attacks on oil workers and oil installations: The unsuspecting oil workers can no longer be the victims of the conflicting work environment,” yesterday asked members of JTF to refocus their activities on protecting the various oil and as locations and facilities and workers and avoid getting involved in nefarious complications.

It said: “Our Association, PENGASSAN, confirmed with shocks the renewed attacks by the agitating youths on the unsuspecting oil workers at Shell’s Alakiri flow station which sadly led to the tragic death of some of the workers and the security details at the flow station, while some others workers at the same scene were reported to have sustained injuries of various grades during the unfortunate incident.
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API/source.Vanguard (Nigeria) – September 22, 2008.

Nairobi (Kenya) – Over the last two months, Kenya Association Manufacturers (KAM) has received strong protests from its members over the recent increase in electricity costs.

Initial analysis shows that the overall effective cost per unit of electricity for the industrial sector has gone up from Ksh 8.00 to Ksh15.00 on average.

In September fuel cost adjustments are set to go up again from Ksh7.69 to Ksh7.78 per unit, we expect the cost to increase further.

In January this year, the fuel cost charge was Ksh1.77 per unit compared to January last year when it was Ksh1.12 per unit. This increase constitutes approximately 600%over the past one year.

With the new rates, Kenyan industries are now faced with the grim reality of business closures and possible relocations.

The country will not only lose out on new investments but will also have current industries relocating to neighboring countries with lower energy costs.

In the past, companies have preferred to move to other COMESA countries from where they produce and export back to Kenya without paying duty. Such a measure will lead to huge job losses and increased poverty.

The power increase is expected to affect all types of producers in the country including horticulture, Jua Kali sector, tourism and manufacturing among others.

In the short term, industries do not have a choice but to increase commodity prices which will add to the already very high cost of living, further fueling inflation.
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API/Source.East African Business Week (Kampala) – September 22, 2008.

A new comment on the post #6557 “Kenya Daily Nation bosses in sex scandal? ” is waiting for your approval
http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/kenya-daily-nation-bosses-in-a-scandal/

Author : Njeri Mwangi (IP: 41.190.93.217 , 41.190.93.217)
E-mail : njeri.mwangi@yahoo.com
URL��� :
Whois� : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=41.190.93.217
Comment:
Where there is smoke there is fire…. Ishara ya mvua ni mawingu….. It is high time that the Government takes serious steps to protect women from men who are wielding power to pray and devour defenceless young female workers at the workplace.

The likes of sex pests like Linus Gitahi the CEO of the Nation Media Group, Wangethi Mwangi the Editorial Director and Joseph Odindo Managing Editor should be “castrated” without mercy.

It is a well known fact that Wangethi Mwangi set the ball rolling and has no doubt inducted Linus Gitahi and Joseph Odindo in this vice of sexually molesting women. Their behaviour is akin to that of dogs and they no doubt can even sleep with their own daughters and sisters without shame.

The kenyan labour laws is now very explicit about sexual harrassment. Indeed unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

His higheness the Aga Khan the owner and proprietor of the Nation Media Group should take immediate action and sack these sex pests because the NMG Board led by Martin Aliker as Chairman has proved that they are not equal to the task.

Linus Gitahi, Wangethi Mwangi and Joseph odindo should be castrated now to end their nefarious sex escapades!!!!!!
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API

Diplomats make approaches to McCain and Obama camps

Norwegian diplomats are working overtime to build contacts with both presidential candidate�s inner circle of advisors. The environment and peace-building, are issues which they hope to show how Norway can make a difference.

Norwegian diplomats want to show the advisors to the presidetial candidates how Norway can help. PHOTO: PAUL J. RICHARDS / AFP

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As it becomes clear who is likely to become the candidate�s advisors in various policy areas, the period before the election is a good time for establishing personal contacts.

“One of our most important tasks in an election year is to keep a close eye on who will become key figures in a new administration and to make contact with them. After the election, competing for their attention becomes more difficult,” says Morten Aasland, who is North America coordinator with the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.

“Our instructions are to give equal priority to both the Obama and McCain camps,” says Aasland.

“While we make sure we follow the Bush administration all the way to the end of its term, we want to establish the best possible relations with key figures in the new administration, says Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr St�re, to daily newspaper Aftenposten.

Norwegian representatives emphasize what Norway can do to assist these advisors, so that they get a good start in the White House. Diplomats emphasize Norway�s abilities in areas such as peace building and international reconciliation, conflict resolution, environmental issues and the Arctic.

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API/Source. aftenposteneng

Business News By Leo Odera Omolo

Tanzania is currently developing a usd 30 million petroleum storage facility that once complete will be among the biggest fuel storage outlets in East Central and Southern Africa.

The operations manager of Tiper Refinary Paul Mzava,recently disclosed to newsmen that the facility,to be competed by the year 2010,will have the capacity to hold,300 million litres.

Tiper holds white or refined hydrocarbons such as petrol,diesel and Kerosene.

�In terms of white products this is going to be storage facility in the region. There are others in South Africa,Kenya and Zambia but there are for crude oil� said Mr.Mzava.

It was learnt last week that �installation of single buoy mooring (SBM) system at the outer anchorage of the Dar Es Salaam habour,estimated to cost usd 50 million has stalled for several years.

According to Mr.Mzara the new system and the new storage depot should go in tandem because hosting such a big facility requires a reliable discharging point that would act as alternative should be mooring at Karasini hicounter ant technical problem.

The SBM currently handles tankers with crude oil destined for Zambia for its Indeni refinery inNdola,which flows to Tanzania �Zambia pipeline tank forms Government and oil marketing companies have said that a new SBM should handle tankers of upto 200,000 tonnes a factors that would reduce cost per unit and stabilize fuel prices.

The final feasibility study on the new multi-line multiproduct SBM by Kaskoning Nederland R.V of the Nether lank was ready three years ago.

A Tanzania ports Authority study on the crude oil transfers pipeline connecting the SBM terminal at Ras Mjimwema to Kigamboni Condemned the facility as obsolete.

Tiper said the new facility would be more beneficial to the country if it granted an export processing zone status.

Rehabilitation and expansion of the tank forum was triggered by increased demand for petroleum products in the region. It is expected that international petroleum dealers including BP Singapore will join hands with Tiper to distribute the fuel stored at the Kigambeni facility to the region.

There are 35 tanks at Kigambeni with a total capacity �of 90 million litres making it the biggest facility in the region out of the 35 tanks,18 are operating while 13 have been rehabilitated at a cost of Tsh 17 billion (USD 15 million)

The work on the remaining four tanks �two with a capacity of 46 million litres and the other 36 million litres will start soon and should be completed by 2010 at a cost of usd 15 million

The new facility is coming at a time when the energy and water utilities Regulatory Authority is moving towards establishing a bulk oil procurement system.

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com.

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API

The king of Swaziland, Mswati III on Sunday made a brief stop over at Banjul International Airport on his way to the United Nations General Assembly session in New York.

The king, who was met on arrival by Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, the Speaker of the National Assembly, cabinet ministers and top ranking government officials, expressed gratitude for the warm welcome accorded to him and his delegation.

He told journalists he hoped the UN General Assembly would find ways and means of resolving the current food crisis facing the world. He also commented the developments in Zimbabwe and the role played by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for helping bring about a government of national unity in that country. He expressed the hope that the accord reached by President Robert Mugabe and opposition leade Moragn Tsvangirai would prove successful.

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API/Source.apa