Watching the power sharing deal and Raila’s political future?
Posted by African Press International on March 20, 2008
Power-sharing deal might ruin Railas future
If Prime Minister-designate, Mr Raila Odinga, does not play his political cards right, the grand coalition might finish him politically. That he succumbed to PNU demands that there be no snap election if one partner walks out of the coalition and that the President is the Head of State and Government, are things he must be careful with.
This happened although the United States Secretary of State, Dr Condoleeza Rice, had assured Kenyans that the power sharing would be real and that the Prime Minister would have executive powers.
Raila admitted that the President be Head of State and Government. Many Kenyans expected real power-sharing to place the President as the Head of State and Prime Minister head of Government.
The President has wielded too much powers and responsibilities and this has been the cause of most political problems the country has witnessed.
Justice minister, Ms Martha Karua, recently said she knew she was seen as a hardliner in the mediation talks but explained that she was defending and stating what her master had asked her to.
PNU hardliners and President Kibakis allies are saying ministries such as Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Defence and Internal Security, which also cover Provincial Administration, cannot be surrendered.
The deal must address issues such as inequality in employment in the Civil Service and State corporations. It should also address past injustices.
Placing the Vice-President above prime minister was a mistake. But how could Ambassador Francis Muthaura have talked on such governance arrangements without the knowledge of the President? Raila must watch out.
The trashing of the 2002 memorandum of understanding between LDP and NAK, and the sacking of LDP ministers after the referendum were lessons to learn.
Kibakis sudden change of heart in the power-sharing agreement raised eyebrows and many thought it was a wise way of ending the talks while still thinking of a new scheme to scuttle ODMs demands.
And with the utterances of Kibakis loyalists, time seems to be proving political observers right.
Ayoki Onyango,
via e-mail.
Published by API africanpress@getmail.no source.standard.ke
