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ODM takes offence at Kibaki’s remarks

ODM has accused President Kibaki of undermining the ongoing talks to find a lasting solution to post-election violence in the country.

ODM leader Raila Odinga addresses the press at Pentagon House on Saturday where he repeated that he is committed to the mediation talks. He is with leaders Najib Balala (left) and William Ruto. Photo/MICHAEL MUTE

And the party demanded that the President apologise to Kenyans for  his remarks at the African Union summit that problems in Kenya can be resolved locally through the courts.

The President is said to have also accused ODM of being behind the post-election violence that he claimed was premeditated.

ODM figures led by Langata MP Raila Odinga said the President’s statements at a time when talks were underway to end political turmoil in the country was not only an insult to the party but to Kenyans in general.

“He should come forward and renounce the statement. He should  not utter things that could worsen the current problems,” Mr Odinga said.

Speaking at Pentagon House, accompanied by MPs William Ruto,  Najib Balala, Dalmas Otieno, Omingo Magara and Henry Kosgey,  and Pentagon member Joseph Nyagah, Mr Odinga asked why PNU had sent representatives to the talks mediated by Kofi Annan if its leader still insisted ODM should go to court.

“Is he (Kibaki) going to be bound by the resolution passed (by the mediation team)?” Mr Odinga asked.

He said ODM feared the President  wanted to turn the talks into an  academic exercise, adding that his party was unwilling to be drawn into a blame game.

ODM, Mr Odinga added, was fully committed to the success of the negotiations, “and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that the ground is stable for this to happen.”

“Mr Kibaki should also approach mediation in good faith. We would be comforted and encouraged in our commitment if we were assured of equal commitment by PNU and its leaders,” Mr Odinga said.

He said President Kibaki had expressed his commitment to talks and that ODM was disappointed with his statement in Addis Ababa.

He said ODM would not go to court over disputed presidential election results because the judicial process was slow, the fraudulent election results were announced by lawyers in a legally constituted body, the chief justice himself was on hand to swear Mr Kibaki in and that documents relating to elections had been tampered with.

The courts, he added, were also full of President Kibaki’s cronies.

Defeated

Mr Odinga said the fact that ODM won  99 parliamentary and 998 civic seats compared to PNU’s 43 and 322 respectively show that it won the elections. Twenty-three Cabinet ministers were also defeated in the legislative election by ODM candidates.

President Kibaki, he said, was trying to use the propaganda ploy of repeating something repeatedly to make people believe it.

Mr Odinga said ODM will not withdraw from the Annan-led talks as it had confidence in the former UN boss’s ability to steer the teams meeting under his chairmanship “towards a just solution that will rescue our country.”

He said ODM had decided to give peace a chance and accused President Kibaki of trying to derail the mediation efforts.

“We are prepared to walk the extra mile. We are doing this for the sake of Kenyans, not Mr Kibaki. This country is not owned by one Emilio Mwai Kibaki. It belongs to all Kenyans,” Mr Odinga said. 

Many people have lost their lives at the hands of police, he said, and some areas of the country have become no-go zones, something that should not be trivialised.

Insisting there can be no peace without justice, Mr Odinga said absence of violence and ceasefire in a state of war was not peace.

Story by LUCAS BARASA
Publication Date: 2/3/2008

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africa, kenya

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