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Politics is a very interesting game. When people choose to be tough and demand things in a tough manner, threatening mass-demonstrations, the same people may end up being the victims of their own tactics.
And when some people see that they are not getting anywhere with the demands they may decide to soften up. This is the case now with ODM-Kenya on a face saving strategy.
They threatened mass actions to get reforms quickly. They have got anything done and now they want to safe face by softening up and asking President Kibaki to call for a dialogue. The president should not call any dialogue now. If need be, for one, then let the minister charged with the constitution do the job. If the president calls and chairs any meeting now, he will be seen as a coward man giving into ODM-K tactics and uncalled-for pressure. The voters should understand such tactics.
The Standard now reports that, “despite its earlier hardline stand on minimum constitutional reforms, ODM-Kenya appears to soften. Lang’ata MP, Mr Raila Odinga said on Friday that the party is ready to take part in what he termed – a structured dialogue to have the desired constitutional changes ahead of the General Election.”
The big question now is, why the softening move? Is ODM-K seeing that they may loose the battle to get the reforms, thus would like the international community to blame Kibaki of not calling a meeting now? Kibaki advisers must see this point.
Raila’s latest demand is for president Kibaki to be the one convening the meeting. He says he has no trust in Justice Minister Martha Karua’s initiatives on the required reforms. Surely, the president has a right to deligate things. Why should the president be forced to do things that he can do through his ministers. What Karua does, she does it on behalf of the president and she deserves the respect of ODM-K people when she is doing her job.
It is possible that ODM-K luminaries and presidential hopefuls look at themselves to be much more important than a cabinet minister and thus, the need and demand to deal directly with with the president on matters of reforms.
The other presidential hopeful now visiting the US, “separately, in an exclusive interview with The Saturday Standard in Washington DC, Mwingi North MP, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka said that ODM-Kenya would not go into an election with laws that clearly favoured the incumbent President. He said minimum reforms demanded by the Kabete MP, Paul Muite’s parliamentary committee were critical ahead of the General Election. Kalonzo said his party would use all possible means, including mass action, to force the Government to enact the changes meant to level the playing field ahead of the elections.”
Mr Kalonzo is quoted saying, “We consider the ten-point changes recommended by the Muite committee essential to the development of democracy. If mass action is the language that will make the present Government listen to its citizens so be it.” adding that “it was the responsibility of everyone to make sure that the Government does not take the country back to the dark days of dictatorship, Kalonzo said President Kibaki had gone against the good faith and principles of IPPG.”
But for Raila it is important for his supporters to know that he is not giving in to anything. “Raila also warned that the olive branch should not be misconstrued to mean that ODM had abandoned the option for mass action to press for minimum reforms. “It is not the desire of ODM to subject Kenyans to a confrontational course with the Government. If we can have a structured dialogue the better”, adding that, “the Government side must be ready to debate key issues ODM wants addressed as part of the reforms before General Election.”
He wants to talk while on equal balance saying, “If the Government can agree to have the 10 key points put on the round table, then we can talk as equal partners ready to chart the way forward for a democratic Kenya.”
Raila is not happy with the president. “I feel offended when Kibaki goes bragging of the economic achievements of his administration. All that Kibaki is doing is to implement what we left when we were sacked. It is us who deserve the credit. The roads you are seeing being done were my initiative while the electricity in the rural areas was a sealed deal during Mr Ochilo Ayacko’s tenure as Energy minister.”
Accusing Kibaki that he is a liar, “He termed as unfortunate remarks by the Kibaki that he never pledged to run for a single term, adding, “It is against African culture for an elder of President Kibaki’s stature to go to a public platform and tell lies.”
Raila likes to play down things when he notices heat. He played, “down reports of a major rift over the role of his party, LPD, in ODM. He denied claims that the LDP had been sidelined in the running of ODM affairs with members from Kanu dominating top positions”, saying, “The interim officials we have are not representing parties but regions that they come from. We agreed as a matter of principle to suspend individual party interests and focus on ODM as a team.”
Raila, who wants to be president, “spoke during the burial of Mama Rebecca Nyachieo at Matutu settlement scheme in Nyamira District. The late Mrs Nyachieo was the mother-in-law to former Cabinet minister, Dr Chris Obure, a key member of ODM.”
Standard reports that, “Kalonzo, who is in the US for a series of high level meetings with a cross section of the US leadership and the Kenyans Diaspora added that President Kibaki’s recent unilateral appointment of electoral commissioners was a clear indication that the Government was laying ground to rig the forthcoming elections. Kalonzo spoke after attending the National Prayer Breakfast Meeting at the White House hosted by US President George Bush. He added that the independence of the electoral commission must be guaranteed before the elections.
Attending a prayer meeting in the White House is a boost for Kalonzo internationally. He has been quoted saying, “we are demanding the independence of the electoral commission, an affirmative action that will reserve 24 of the 36 seats of those nominated to Parliament for women and dual citizenship for Kenyans in Diaspora be entrenched into the constitution before we go into polls.”
During the White House morning prayer, “The Minister for Public Service, Mr Moses Akaranga, the Kenyan Ambassador to the US, Mr Peter Ogego and the Kenyan Ambassador to the UN, Mr Muita Muburu represented the Government”, of Kenya.
Nobody knows if Kalonzo was there on a private capacity or whether he was in the breakfast prayers representing LDP or ODM-Kenya.
By Korir, Published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no, tel. mobile +47 932 99 739 or landline +47 6300 2525, source.standard.ke
