Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Thursday ruled out the possibility of extending the term of the current parliament saying elections will be held in December this year.
Kibaki, who reportedly will seek re-election, said that elaborate arrangements for holding successful elections at the end of the year were in place and that he had no intention of interfering with that process by prolonging the life of the ninth parliament.
Speculation has been rife that Kibaki, who defeated Daniel arap Moi in 2002 to take over the helm of east Africa's biggest economy, will stand for re-election, but so far he has not formally declared his candidature.
"The president at the same time called on Kenyans to take advantage of the extension of the voter registration exercise and register in large numbers as voters, saying no one should be disenfranchised because of failure to register as a voter," KIbaki's office said in a statement.
President Kibaki made the remarks when he performed the official opening of the 2007 Agricultural Society Trade Fair in Nakuru, about 180 km southwest of Nairobi.
Kibaki however cautioned against premature campaigns saying electioneering must not take precedent before development.
Polls have shown Kibaki, 75, as the single most popular presidential candidate, but he faces a strong challenge from the Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya (ODM-K) coalition, which unites disgruntled former allies and the main opposition party.
Kibaki, who was elected on anti-graft platform, has not publicly identified with any party for the upcoming election, but allies who have formed a new party, NARC-Kenya, hope he will throw his lot in with them.
Kenya' economy has prospered under Kibaki, registering near 6.1 percent growth in the past two years.
Source: Xinhua
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