THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- October 21, 2017- Topic 2

Back to the ballot: On Kenyan polls

Barely days before the contentious rerun of the presidential election in Kenya on October 26, the CEO of its electoral board, Ezra Chiloba, has announced that he is going on three weeks’ leave. Incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta had won the August 8 election, but it was subsequently annulled by the Supreme Court. He remains the only serious candidate in the fray. His principal rival and four-time contender, Raila Odinga, leader of the opposition National Super Alliance, quit the race last week demanding a comprehensive overhaul of the electoral commission. 

It is not clear if Mr. Chiloba’s temporary removal from the scene will be enough to persuade him to change his mind. Mr. Odinga may have gambled that his boycott of the election would prompt a postponement of the poll, thereby averting a victory for Mr. Kenyatta, thus buying the opposition some time. In the event, the contest is expected to proceed on schedule, even if it means that it will be a limited fray. The prevailing scenario is, in effect, a continuation of the fluid situation on the ground, where scores of people have been killed in the political turmoil of recent months. It also sheds light on the fragile nature of Kenya’s democratic institutions more than 50 years after it won freedom from colonial rule. Two ethnic communities — the Kikuyu, represented by Mr. Kenyatta, and the Kalenjin, by Deputy President William Ruto — have mostly occupied the country’s leadership positions. As a nation that embraced multi-party democracy in the 1990s, Kenya’s corridors of power are yet to reflect its rich cultural diversity.

Marking a watershed moment on that journey is the exemplary assertion of judicial independence by Kenya’s Supreme Court, which overturned the outcome of the August poll. In a strong indictment of the election commission in September, a majority ruled that the popular exercise was not conducted in a manner consistent with the constitution. One judge even made a reference to the electoral body’s refusal to allow the court access to its computer servers as having lent credence to the opposition’s claim of manipulation. But the court’s opinion has apparently had little impact on Mr. Kenyatta, who has enacted emergency legislation to circumscribe the powers of the election body and the courts. Clearly, a robust championing of the rule of law will be needed in the days and months ahead. Nothing is more urgent for Kenya than political stability, transparency and a government that is accountable to its people. The international community erred on the side of caution with its positive assessment of the elections in August. But U.S. and European diplomats are now unambiguous in their criticism of both Mr. Kenyatta and Mr. Odinga, who have adopted unreasonable and unrealistic positions in the face of the volatile situation. It is time the two men heeded better sense.

Vocabulary

Contentious: causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.

Example: A contentious issue

Synonyms: controversial, disputable, debatable, disputed, open to debate, vexed

Incumbent: currently holding office.

Example: The incumbent president had been defeated

Synonyms: current, present, in office, in power, reigning

Fray: a situation of intense activity, typically one incorporating an element of aggression or competition.

Example: Nineteen companies intend to bid for the contract, with three more expected to enter the fray

Persuade: cause someone to do something through reasoning or argument.

Example: It wasn't easy, but I persuaded him to do the right thing

Synonyms: prevail on, coax, convince, get, induce, win over, bring around

Averting: prevent or ward off an undesirable occurrence.

Example: Talks failed to avert a rail strike

Synonyms: prevent, avoid, stave off, ward off, forestall, preclude

Fragile: easily broken or damaged.

Example: Tourists also damage the fragile ecosystem by dumping plastic waste and driving over the grasslands.

Synonyms: breakable, easily broken, delicate, dainty, fine, flimsy

Embraced: accept or support a belief, theory, or change willingly and enthusiastically.

Example: Besides traditional methods, artists are embracing new technology

Synonyms: welcome, welcome with open arms, accept, take up

Consistent: unchanging in achievement or effect over a period of time.

Example: Manufacturing processes require a consistent approach

Synonyms: constant, regular, uniform, steady, stable, even

Manipulation: the action of manipulating something in a skilful manner.

Example: The format allows fast picture manipulation

Transparency: the condition of being transparent.

Example: The transparency of ice

Synonyms: translucency, limpidity, clearness, clarity; openness, accountability

Unambiguous: not open to more than one interpretation.

Example: Instructions should be unambiguous

Volatile: liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse.

Example: The political situation was becoming more volatile

Synonyms: tense, strained, fraught, uneasy, uncomfortable, charged

Heed: pay attention to.

Example: He should have heeded the warnings

Synonyms: pay attention to, take notice of, take note of, pay heed to, attend to