(Xinhuanet photo)

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NAIROBI Paul Goldschmidt Youth Jersey , Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Tuesday extended voting period for regions where heavy rains and flooding made it hard for voters to reach the poll centers in the remote northern region of Turkana.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati told a media briefing in Nairobi that majority of the polling stations opened on time.

""We wish to assure you all that for the polling stations that opened late, we will compensate the time by extending the voting period by the same amount of hours that were lost before opening,"" he said.

Chebukati said the robustness of the voting kit, the Kenya Integrated Elections Managements System (KIEMS) system provided various voter identification options, which have provided voters with a remarkable voting experience.

IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba said at least 7.84 million people, equal to 40 percent of the voters successfully voted based on a count of 25,000 voter identification kits reporting by 2 p.m. local time and a full count was expected by 6 p.m., an hour after the poll centers closed in Kenya's landmark general elections.

Chiloba said the figure of the voters does not includes those who voted manually without using the electronic voter identification devices. However, a full outcome would increase when 40,833 kits report.

""We are monitoring the turnout. The 40 percent turnout is based on 25,000 kits reporting. We should have the full interim report on the voter turnout later,"" Chiloba told a news conference.

Chiloba said it would take longer to get the specific details of the voters who used the kits.

Voting in Turkana was affected by heavy rains and flooding, which made it harder for the voters to reach the poll centers.

In Turkana's Kapedo Township, where Presidential candidate Aukot Ekuru, was unable to cast his ballot, the IEBC said it would extend voting until midnight and could be extended until Wednesday.

""If we start now, we have to give the voters 12 hours, even if it means going beyond the 12 hours, we will have to finish,"" Chiloba said.

Meanwhile, opposition presidential chief agent, Musalia Mudavadi, hailed the IEBC and the police for conducting the presidential elections in a fair manner.

He said some security officers were, however, contributing towards campaigns at the polling stations and mobilizing voters.

Mudavadi said his party; the National Super Alliance was concerned about pre-marked ballot papers which was prevalent across many polling centers. ""Kenyans deserve the highest standards of honesty,"" he said.

The IEBC said it would prosecute officers caught in bribery and electoral offenses.

""Any electoral offence would be prosecuted. We are working with the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP),"" said Chiloba.

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A recently agreed trade action plan between China and the US that would further open up the Chinese market for US agricultural products and financial services could mean more options for Chinese consumers, but increased competition for domestic companies, experts said on Sunday.

Chinese and US officials announced last week that they had reached an initial consensus on several trade issues, as part of the 100-day action plan for bilateral trade negotiations.

These included allowing US beef exports to enter China by mid-July and granting market access for US financial institutions to provide credit rating services and electronic payment services in China.

This could benefit Chinese consumers as it will allow for cheaper, better quality goods and services, particularly agricultural products, according to Ma Wenfeng, a senior analyst at Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultant.

"If we resume the imports of US beef, we will have more sources for beef," Ma told the Global Times on Sunday, adding that US beef is generally better than the meat imported from Brazil. "The US has better safety regulations for beef than Brazil, which ensures better quality," Ma said.

China banned beef imports from the US in 2003 due to a case of mad cow disease reported in the state of Washington, and has been relying on imports from countries such as Australia and Brazil. China also temporarily barred meat imports from Brazil in March this year following a scandal in which Brazilian officials were found to be taking bribes to allow the sale of rotten meat.

Under the new trade plan, Chinese officials will take measures to allow wholly foreign-owned financial firms in China to provide credit rating services and guidelines will be issued for wholly US-owned electronic payment service providers to begin the licensing process in China by mid-July. In addition, China will issue both bond underwriting and settlement licenses to two qualified US financial institutions.

This will expand the financial services and product offerings in the Chinese market, which has been dominated by domestic companies thus far, according to experts. "As the Chinese capital market is going through reforms and opening up, it's in the interest of the investors to have a diverse, open market," Li Daxiao, chief economist at Shenzhen-based Yingda Securities, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Liu Xuezhi, a senior analyst at Bank of Communications, added that "it's a . Cheap Jerseys From China   Cheap Jerseys From China   Cheap Jerseys   Cheap NHL Jerseys   Cheap Jerseys China Free Shipping   Cheap Authentic Jerseys   Cheap Jerseys China Free Shipping   Wholesale Shirts China   Wholesale Hoddies China   Cheap Nike NBA Hoddies