Bernard Namunane
28 January 2008
Nairobi — Mediation efforts to end the political crisis in which hundreds of people have been killed entered a crucial stage Sunday when President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga were handed proposals of a roadmap to a peaceful solution.
On Sunday evening, former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan sent the feuding sides documents specifying the terms of reference, the agenda and options of reaching a solution that is agreeable to both sides.
Mr Annan met Mr Odinga and his team at Serena Hotel to inform them of the new stage in the dialogue, having passed on the same message to President Kibaki at State House on Saturday afternoon.
Briefing the Press, ODM Pentagon member Musalia Mudavadi said: "We have met Mr Annan and he has told us that at the end of the day, he would be availing (sic) to us the documents on the principles of engagement, the agenda and the line we will pursue in seeking a solution to the crisis."
Mr Annan, he said, had also asked each side in the political dispute to name a team of three negotiators and a liaison officer for the key stage of agreeing on the peace deal.
It marked the second score by the mediation team that includes former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and Mrs Graca Machel - former South African First Lady - in their quest to broker a peaceful deal between President Kibaki and Mr Odinga.
"We believe that the measure of progress seems imminent and we, in ODM, want to ensure that Kenya gets a peaceful solution," said Mr Mudavadi.
Just three days after flying into the country last Tuesday, Mr Annan succeeded in bringing together President Kibaki and Mr Odinga for talks at Harambee House where they shook hands and appealed for calm and peace in Kenya.
Make hard choices
The terms of reference and the agenda of the negotiations are normally drawn after the facilitators have considered the proposals placed on the table by the sides in the dispute. Input from religious leaders, civil society, opinion leaders and foreign envoys is also considered.
The Annan-led team has kept up with those demands and has met all the parties concerned.
The former UN boss took some time off his busy schedule on Saturday and toured Molo and Cherang'any. He came back and described the situation on the ground as heart-wrenching.
He immediately urged leaders from both sides to be prepared to take hard decisions in order to restore order and stability in the country.
Mr Annan also said the ongoing violence had gone beyond the disputed presidential elections.
A top officer in Annan's team told the Nation that a number of issues had been presented for consideration, among them the issue of leadership in the country.
President Kibaki and the reconciliation team led by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka are understood to have, among others, stated that ODM ought to recognise that the Head of State was the duly elected President and that a legitimately constituted Government was in place. They also want ODM leaders, who they accuse of being behind the violence, to publicly condemn the killings and urge their supporters to end the chaos.
The Kibaki team further questioned the failure by their rivals to move to court to challenge the President's re-election and has proposed to the mediators that only the courts of law can declare that the President was in office illegitimately.
In addition, they have ruled out a power-sharing deal and a rerun of the Presidential elections. On the other hand, ODM have demanded that President Kibaki accept that he lost to Mr Odinga in the elections.
Once that has been achieved, they have proposed that President Kibaki resigns to pave way for a rerun of the presidential elections.
Their last option involves an interim government where they would share power in line with a formula to be determined by each party's strength in Parliament as they await for fresh elections.
However, Mr Mudavadi said that ODM was ready to make hard decisions that would end the violence that has now assumed new dimensions. "We have stated that we are committed to finding a peaceful solution, which means that we are prepared to make hard decisions," he said.
However, those hard decisions could be hampered by ODM's demand that ODM Kenya, whose leader is the VP Musyoka, be excluded from the talks.
ODM secretary-general Anyang' Nyong'o stated that the negotiations are between PNU and ODM only. "We are negotiating with PNU whose leader is Mwai Kibaki. Kalonzo Musyoka is the head of ODM-K and whatever arrangements he has with PNU, are his own. The election crisis is between ODM and PNU," he said.
He wants Mr Kibaki to ensure that Mr Musyoka does not get close to the negotiations table with ODM because he has no stake in the dispute.
"Anybody naming a coalition team must confine it to the two parties. We want to negotiate with the principals and not surrogates. Kalonzo must realise that," he cautioned.
The VP heads the reconciliation team that includes Cabinet ministers Martha Karua, George Saitoti, Moses Wetangula, Samuel Poghisio, Ali Chirau Mwakwere, Attorney General Amos Wako and Mbooni MP Mutula Kilonzo.
By Sunday evening, both sides were sizing each other up as they waited to study the proposed roadmap before appointing their teams to the negotiations table.
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The press has not reported any of the religions leader in conflict say 1. It is sin to steal vote and pretend to be wina 2. it is sin to bribe 3. it is sin to cheat on press 4. it is sin to make false declaration 5. it is sin to swear falsely 6. it is sin to hate or murder neighbour 7. it is sin to destroy property of neigbour 8. it si sin to destroy reputation of nother person 9. it is sin to hate because tribe 10.it is still sin to kill even at orders… [Read Full Text]
As the guy says, the moral status of the country is really in question. If thousands of people do not think twice before commiting henious deeds like slashing and killing by crude weapons, burning property, fanning and planning hate, then again, the pnu leaders think it is ok to bribe and steal votes and use force to impose power on people considered inferior or worthless because they are poor or speak another language or do not belong to our secret elder clubs, if the preachers talk peace but do not even say one word about these moral crimes,how will the… [Read Full Text]
This news is encouraging. Peace is the necessary hard work of every individual, community and nation. It is my prayer that the peace process in Kenya will return goodwill to the good people of a great nation.