06/10/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 6 October, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) said that the EU "is closely following developments in the Republic of Kenya", ahead of the re-run of the presidential election, which is scheduled for 26 October following the Kenyan supreme court's ruling annulling the 8 August 2017 presidential election (see EUROPE 11855). "It is crucial that all political actors respect the independence of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in the organisation of the re-run. All parties should seriously engage with the IEBC in a dialogue about processes and procedures, and support its work as it prepares for the new election", the EEAS spokesperson stated. Mentioning the warnings of the chairperson of the African Union against any attempt to prevent the IEBC from fulfilling its constitutional mandate, the EU said it is committed to providing its technical assistance to the IEBC. (AN)