Arusha — Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has urged Kenyans not to vote for politicians facing trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in next year's election, according to media reports.
Annan, now African Union envoy overseeing the election, was quoted Tuesday by the BBC as saying that Kenya's external relations could be damaged. He was speaking on a two-day visit to Kenya.
The ICC suspects include Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and MP William Ruto, who hope to run as president and deputy in elections scheduled for March 2013. The two were bitter rivals in the last presidential elections but have now formed an alliance.
Annan did not name Kenyatta and Ruto, but was reported as saying that any Kenyan leader must be able to travel to meet other heads of state and be trusted by the international community.
"When you elect a leader who cannot do that, who will not be free or will not be easily received, it is not in the interests of the country and I'm sure the population will understand that," he is quoted as saying.
Annan also warned Kenyan politicians against using the ICC cases as a campaign tool, according to Kenyan daily The Nation. "It would be a shame if politicians turn the ICC cases into a referendum on pulling out or staying in the court," the paper quotes him as saying.
"The issue is about post-election violence. The ICC is not against Kenya. It is not against any tribe, it is about individuals who have to defend themselves in court," he said.
Both Kenyatta and Ruto have been charged with crimes against humanity for their alleged role in 2007/08 post-election violence that left more than 1,000 dead and many more displaced.
Two other suspects indicted by the ICC on similar charges are ex-Cabinet Secretary Francis Muthaura and journalist Joshua arap Sang. The four have denied any responsibility in the crimes. Their trial is due to start in April 2013, after the elections.
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"VERY DISSAPOINTED IN ANANNAS RANTINGS. HE SHOULD SEE THAT THE DREAM HE HAD IS NOT BEING PRACTICED BY WESTERN POWERS 'THEY ARE MISUSING THE ICC.!!! WHAT AFRICA NEEDS IS STRONG INSTITUTIONS, HOW CAN WE TRUST WESTERN LEADERS WHEN WE SEE THEM PERPRETRATING SO MUCH CONFLICT ESPIONAGE BUTCHERY IN STYRIA????. WHETHER HE LIKES TO ADMIT IT OR NOT WHEN WE SEE MRAND MRSA GBGAGBO BEING INDICTED BY THE ICC??? WHAT A TRAVESTY WHEN WE SAW THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS ACTUALLY KIDNAPPED LIKE DAYS OF ENSLAVEMENT!!!. WE MUST JUDGE THE ICC ON MERIT; WHOSE RIGHT IS IT TO GO AGAINST THE SOVEREIGN CONSTITUTION OF A NATION??? IS IT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES DUTY TO DO SO???? NOT AT ALL . WHAT WE SAW IN IVORY COAST THE THE "CONSTITUTIONAL COURT ' OF THE LAND DECIDED THAT THE VOTE WAS INAPROPRIATE AND THAT MR.GBAGBO SHOULD RETAIN HIS PRESIDENCY!!. THIS IS DEMOCRACY WHAT WE SAW WASA IMPERIAL DICTATORSHIP WHEN FRANCE DECIDED THAT MR,GBAGBO COULD NTO BE REELECTED BECAUSE HE WANTED QUATARRA AS PRESIDENT!!!! THIS IS USING FOREIGN MECHANISMS TO DIVERT JUSTICE FROM INSTITUTIONS NTHAT THE PEPLE DEPEDN ON TO GUIDE THEM THROUGH THIER POLITICAL DISPUTES. THEN WE SAW IN LIBYA THEY REFUSED TO TALK TO GADAFFI ISNTEAD MURDERING HIM BEFORE THEY COULD EVEN SURRENDER HIM TO THIS ALLEGED BODY OF CORRUPT NATIONS WHO GOVERNS THE ICC. WHJAT WE CONTIUE TO HEAR IN AFRICA WE DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HOLD SUCH TRIALS ??? WHY, ARE WE SO DUNCE THAT WE CANNOT BUILD OUR OWN JURISPRUDENT INSTITUTIONS??? OF COURSE WE CAN. THE WEST IS USING THIS POLITICAL ARM TO COMPLIMENT ITS MILITARY NATO WING WHICH IS A FOLLY UPON THE EARTH AND UNTILL WE AS AFRICANS ARE ABLE TO BUYILD STRONG UNIVERSAL INSTITUTIONS WE SHOULD NTO SUPPORT THIS KANGAROO COURT OF PARTIALTYU. HOW DO WE JUDGE THAT SOEMTHING OR SOMEONE IS FAIR. FIRST THE ENTITITY MUST BE NEUTRAL THEY MUST OFFER IMPARTIAL ARGUMENTS; WHAT WE SEE WITH THE ICC IS THAT THEY ONLY ALWEAYS TAKE SIDES . THE SIDES THEY TAKE ARE ALWAYS ONES THAT THE WEST WANTS THEM TO TAKE. WE SEE THAT THE WEST REMIAS HIGH ABVE THE LAWS THAT GOVERNS US AFRICANS THAT IS NOT JURISPRUDNCE THAT IS INEQUALITY MISJUSTICE INJUSTICEINEQUALITY DICTATORSHIP IMPERIALISM NEOCOLOINIALSIM AND ALL THE RST OF THE PROBLEMATIC THINSG WE FOUGHT FOR DURING THE MANY BLACK LIBERATION STRUGGLES IN AFRICA. WE MUST NOW SEE THAT AFRICA IS MOVING WAY OUT OF THE ORBIT OF THE WEST AND THEY CAN NOT STOP IT; 'THEY ARE USING ALL THESE MECHANISMS TO' DWARF OUR UNITY" AND OUR OWN DECISIONS MAKING". 'THE WEST IS SURE THAT WE WILL NEED THIER AID 'FOR MANY DECADES TO COME, THAT IS A COMPLETE FALACY". THE ONLY WAY THAT WILL HAPPPEN IS WITH THIER CORRUPT INETERFRENCE THIER STEALTH THIER ESPIOAGES TO DISRUPT AND CREATE DISHARMONY IN AFRICAN NATIONS. WE DO NOT NEED OVERSIGHT ONCE WE SEE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE BECOMMING MORE EDUCATED 'MORE INDEPENDENT' AND NOT IN ANY W AY DEPENDENT ON OUR FORMER ENSLAVERS". "WE NEED TO CONTRIBUTE MORE TO OUR ECONOMIES ENABLING THEM TO BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT ." WE MUST STAND FIRM IN DETERMINING OUR OWN DESTINIES 'WE MUST CONSOLIDATE OUR MINDS' TO BE AS ONE PEOPLE 'ONE AIM' ONE HEART' ONE DESTINY". AFRICA IS SEEING THE WORLD IN MUCH DIFFERNT WAY; MAYBE THIS COURT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOOD DURING MBOTUS RULE IN CONGO 'THIS COURT IS INEFFECIENT TODAY". "WE DO NOT NEED EUROPEANS' WHO CAN NOT JUDGE THEMSELVES' WHO ARE ALLLOWING FOR FRAUDS DRONES MURDERS KIDNAPPINGS ASSAULTS TORTURES THEFTS WITH IMPUNITY' ; SEELING OF ARMS ROUND THE GLOBE INCITING MORE CONFLICTS THAN EVER. WE SEE THEM GIVING ARTMS AN PARTICIPATING IN SYRIA THESE ARE WAR CRIMES!!!!!! THESE PRACTICES CONTRAVENES THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS!!! LOOK AT FRANCE DROPPING TONNES OF WEAPONS IN THE SAHEL NORTHWEST TO FUEL WARS THAT WE SEE IN AFRICA TODAY'. THERE ARE SO MANY WEAPONS IN AFRICA ALL COURTESY OF THE WEST!!!!!!. DO NOT FOLLOW THESE NARRATIVES VOTE FOR WHOM YOU SEE AS MST CAPABLE TO GUIDE YOUR NATION!!. AFRICA IS NOT LOOKING FOR WESTERN APROPVAL THE WEST IS AFRAID THAT YOU MIGHT ELECT UHURU WHOM THEY FEEL WILL NOT BE AS CONDUCIVE TO THIER BRAINWASHING AS OTHER LEADERS MIGHT BE. UHURU HAS A STRONG POLITICAL BACKING THE PEOPLE ARE FOND OF HIM AN HE IS A STRONG LOYAL KENYAN!!!!!. "AFRICA MUST NOT BE PURSUADED BY ANY OUTISDE THIER NATION IN AS TO WHOM THEY SHOULD ELECT'. THIS IS NOT THE DUTY FO ANNAN THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE PEOPLE SHOULD DECIDE. "WHAT THIS MAKES ME SEE IS THAT 'THE WEST IS AFRAID OF AN INDEPENDENT THINKER!!!!. IF THEY HAD TO SEND IN THIS SALE MAN WHO WAS HUMILIATED WITH HIS PEACE PLANS BY WESTERN MEDIA IN SYRIA. IF ANYONE READ WHAT I HAD TO SAY BEFGORE HE WENT IN THEY WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THAT VENTURE WAS FUTILE!!!. THE AMERICASN ARE ONA HEGEMON MODE THEY WANT TO COLLPASE THE SYRIA LEBANON GAZA IRAN NOW IRAQ REBUFF AGAINST COLONIAL ISRAEL!!!!!. THE ISRAELIS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS WESTERN HEGMON THRUOUT AFRICA. AS WE SEE THAT NORTH AFRICA IS BEING RULED WITH NUCLEAR RAMAMENTS IN ISRAEL WHILE THEY PRETEND TO WANT TO STOP NUCLEAR ACTIVITY BY IRAN??? WHEN ISRAEL IS ABIGER DANGER; HOW CAN THEY BE SO HYPOCRITICAL!!. WE MUST LOOK AT THE WORLD AROUND US WE MUST SEE FOR SELVES THAT THE WEST IS INTERESTED IN EXPLOITATION, EVEN WITH YOUR FAVOUIRTE SON IN OBAMA ,HE HAS NO INETERST IN AFRICAN INDEPEDNENCE, HE IS AN AMERICAN HEGEMONIST AT HEART' HE IS SO DEVOTED TO WHERE HE IS IN HISTORY ,'THAT SENTIMENTS ARE NOT WHERE HE IS GOING TODAY!!. "IT IS OUR DUTY AS PAN AFRICANS TO STAY LOVING ALWAYS' AND STAY UNITED' NO MATTER THE WEATHER!!!. WE MIGHT HAVE DONE THINGS THAT WE AS A NATION REALISE IN HINDSIGHT WAS WRONG;" HOWEVER WE SOUGHT INNER SELF TO FIND PEACE' ALSO IN OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS". 'THE ICC WILL NOT PAY AR RECOMPENSE THE DISASTER . WHAT WE MUST DO IS BECOME UNIFIED AS OEN NATION. WE MUST LOVE OURSELVES FULLY. WHENEVER WE FEEL THAT WE NEED THAT TYPE OF INTERVENTION WE WILL CONSIDER IT. ANOTHER THING IS THE FACT THAT WITHIN ALL DEMOCRACIES AND TREATIES IT IS ONLY RIGHT THAT THE PEOPLE ARE GIVENA REFERNDUM TO SEE IF THEY APROVE OF THIS LEGISLATION. KENYA IS NOT A COLONIAL STATE THE UN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS NO SAY IN KENYA AND WHO SHOLD BE TRIED. THERE IS NO DUTY THAT YOU MUST HONOUR THE RME STATUTE WHO MADE SUCH DECISONS WITHOUT CONFERING WITH THE PEOPLE. WHAT WE SEE TODAY IS THAT MULTI NATIONAL CORPORATIONS ARE MAKING LAWS THAT NATIONS HAVE TO FOLLOW OUSIDE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. THE COURT AT HAND IS ONLY AN ARM OF EMPWOERING ZIONISM AND IMPERIALSIM FROM WESTERN NATIONS PARTICULARLY THE USA. "AFRICA MUST BE FREE TO START ITS OWN INSTITUTIONS THAT WILL BE ELECT OF JUDICIAL JURISPRUDENCE". AFRICA DOES NOT NEED THE ICC OR EUROEP TO HOLF ITS HANDS ANY FURTHER. MOST AFRICAN NATIONS TODAY ARE SEEING THEMSELVES WITH OUT THE HAND HOLDING AND DICTATING OF THE WEST. IT IS ONLY THRU THESE THINSG LOMNGSIDE THE NGOS FROM ABROAD THAT COME INT AFRICA DICTATING WITH THIER FLASE DOCTRINES STIRRING TROUBLE AND INCITING AND CORRUPTING AFRICANS. WITHOUT THESE FOREIGNERS AFRICA IS LEARNING TO USE ITS RESOURCES AND DOING RIGHT BY ITSELF. THEY ARE SEEING THAT THEY HAVE TO USE THIER OWN RESOURCES TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURES AND THEY MUST USE WHAT THEY HAVE TO EMPOWER THE PEOPLE. WE MUST TAKE THE LBYAN EXAMPLE UNDER GADAFFI THEY OWED NO ONE MONEY THEY BORROWED NOT, THEY WERE SELF FEEDING AND THEY OFFERED FREE HEALTH CARE AND FREE EDUCATUION TO UNIVERSITY LEVEL THIS SYSTEM THE WEST DOES NOT WANT TO SEE IN AFRICA." WHAT WE SEE IN LIBYA TODAY IS ARMED GANGS RUNNING THE COUNTRY AND NO POSIBILOITY FO EVER GOING FORWARD TO BECOMMING THE RICHEST NATION IN ALL AFRICA". THE PEOPLE LIVED IN LIBAY HIGHER THAN MOST IN EUROPEAN NATIONS. SO WHEN WE HEAR FOOLISHNESS WE MUST LOOK AT FACTS ;THE ICC IS AFRAID AND IT IS NOT WHAT WE NEED IN "AFRICA DURING THIS CRITICAL TIME IN OUR FREE BLACK BROWN LIBERATION HISTORY".' WE MUST GET EVERYTHING RIGHT 'WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO FALTER BY THE WAYSIDE.. " KENYANS MUST NOT BE SWAYED BY ONE REASON OR THE OTHER WHEN VOTING THEY MUST CHOOSE WHOM THEY FEEL IS RIGHT FOR THEM AND WHO WILL EMPOWER THEM EVEN FURTHER IN THESE TIMES. "WE ARE NOT IN A RACE TO BECOMMING A PUPPET OF THE WEST OR SOME NEGROE STOOGE THAT THEY [PAT ON THE HEAD AS A GOOD BWAY". "WE ARE PROUD BLACK AFRICANS' WHOM ARE INDEPENDENT AND IF WE FORGIVE' THEN SO SHOULD YOU" " THERE IS NO GRETARE THAN COMPASION REMEBER THE OLD TALES OF ANCIENT KENYA THEY SPOKE OF" THE ONE GOD"WHO WAS COMPASIOANTE TOWARDS THE PEOPLE" WE MUST HOLD OPUR ANTIQUITY DEAR WHEN WE READ THE BIBLE IT IS ALL ABUT AFRICA WHENEVER W READ THE OLB TESTAMENT WE HEAR OF EGYPT ETHIOPIA JORDAN THESE LEBANON ARE AFRICAS NATIONS'.. WE MUST CONTINUE TO LOEV ALL AFRICA WE MUST SEEK ALL THE KWNLEDGE THAT WE CAN BUT IN ALL OUR VENTURES WE MUST SEEK TRTUH FIRST AND WE MUST REMIND OURSELVES THAT WE ARE A FRGIVING PEOPLE. WE EXPECT " OUR MAJESTY OUR CREATOR " TO FORGIVE US OF OUR TERSPASSES!. " WEMUST LIVE UPFULL TODAY LETS GIVEWHOM WE LOVE THAT CHANCE TO GOVERN WITH JUST EQUAL JURISPRUDENCE" . I SAY THAT THE POLITICIASN THAT ARE BEING OSTARCISED TODAY WILL MAKE SOME OF AFRICAS GREATEST LEADERS THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO BOW OR EVER BECOEM COPMPROMISED BY A WEST WHO USES DIVISIONS AS ITS BIGGEST TOOL". ""PEACE LOVE SOLIDARITY UNITY HAPPINESS FOR ALL KENYA AND KENYANS 'LOVE HONOUR RESPECT"