Government scoffs at US calls
The Government Sunday scoffed at the US and international community calls for a power-sharing formula that would end the political crisis in the country. Through Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula, the State was firm that no one would arm-twist it to reach any agreement that betrays the Constitution.
Addressing journalists a day after American President George Bush called for a power-sharing agreement between PNU and ODM to end the post-election conflict that has left more than 1,000 people dead and over 350,000 displaced, Mr Wetang’ula said the solution lay with Kenyans. “The statement should be seen within the context of opinion. The solution must be Kenyan. We will not arrive at a solution because A and B say this is the solution,” Mr Wetang’ula said.
The Government reaction also came a day before tough US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives in Nairobi Monday to back the Kofi Annan-led mediation efforts. President Bush who is on a five-day African tour and was in Tanzania Sunday after visiting Benin on Saturday, sent Dr Rice to Kenya to give a “clear message that there ought to be a power-sharing agreement”. The US has also since warned that it is ready to sanction any individual who obstructs the peace initiative.
Mr Wetang’ula welcomed Dr Rice’s visit, saying she is to arrive at mid-morning for a one-day visit that will see her hold talks with President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga. The minister said the Government was committed to finding an immediate and long-term solution to the crisis facing the country, but will not succumb to any outside pressure.
Mr Wetang’ula spoke as optimism and anxiety grew among Kenyans who expect that a solution to the crisis will be reached at this week to enable them return to a life of normalcy. On Sunday, Mr Wetang’ula repeated Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Martha Karua’s remarks that Kenya was not a colony, but a sovereign State which should be respected and left on its own. He denied that the Government’s insistence that the Annan agreement be in line with the Constitution, was aimed at derailing the negotiations. “We cannot reach an agreement that runs contrary to the Constitution,” he said.
However, sources say the Annan team has made it clear to the PNU and ODM negotiators that they were looking for a political and not a legal solution to the current crisis. Mr Wetang’ula was hopeful that a deal would be struck soon. Both sides, he said, were keen and committed to finding a lasting solution. The talks took a break on Friday to allow ODM and PNU representatives to brief their masters on progress and consult on various proposals including the formation of a grand coalition. The negotiators, dubbed “The National Dialogue and Reconciliation Committee”, resume their efforts Tuesday.
Meanwhile, PNU leaders have reacted angrily to the US calls for a power-sharing agreement. Addressing a press conference in Nairobi, the leaders, led by Dagoretti MP Beth Mugo, accused President Bush of attempting to infringe on Kenya’s sovereignty by demanding a power-sharing agreement between PNU and ODM. “As Kenyans, we would like the US, Britain, Western envoys and their decoys to respect our sovereignty and territorial integrity by refraining from asking us to experiment with ‘strange’ concepts such as power-sharing. “We would like to ask them to leave us alone to determine our destiny,” the MPs said.
Daily Nation
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