Raila: Street protests on unless dialogue starts

CORD leader Raila Odinga has warned of more street protests if the Government fails to have dialogue over the electoral agency.

Raila said if the dialogue he sought afresh from President Uhuru Kenyatta during his State House meeting on Tuesday was not reciprocated by Jubilee, he would lead the Opposition to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices.

“We don’t fear bullets, we are not scared by teargas. You can harass us, you can beat us, you can use water cannon on us but we shall not be intimidated,” sung Raila in a recitation of a common Kenyan song, which he paraphrased to encourage his followers at a rally held at Uhuru Park yesterday afternoon.

He disclosed that one of the agreements with the President during the State House meeting was to form a joint team to address the IEBC standoff.

Raila said CORD wouldl today name the five-member team that would engage the Jubilee team in resolving the IEBC stalemate.

The Opposition chief further disclosed that they had agreed to hold a peaceful Uhuru Park rally after the national Madaraka Day celebrations in Nakuru devoid of insults.

In a statement that gave mixed signals on the IEBC duel, Raila insisted that street protests would proceed from Monday if dialogue fails.

If the teams agree to dialogue, the talks would be fashioned along the lines of the Inter-Party Parliamentary Group of 1997 and the Serena Hotel Mediation Group of 2008.

CORD leaders at the rally dismissed Deputy President William Ruto’s sentiments that any meaningful engagement must be done within Parliament.

PEACEFUL NEGOTIATIONS

Raila said even the National Accord that unlocked the impasse of the contested 2007 General Election between him and retired President Mwai Kibaki was first negotiated outside Parliament, before the agreed resolutions were taken to the House.

Raila maintained that the Opposition stood for peaceful negotiations to end the IEBC debacle.

He said the 1997 IPPG initiative was arrived at through dialogue outside Parliament and that such a forum would still provide the way forward.

“We will chose our negotiating team tomorrow (today) to meet with our friends and begin the process. If they do not start the negotiations on Friday, then let’s meet there (IEBC offices) on Monday,” said Raila.

Admitting that together with President Kibaki they constituted the current IEBC, Raila said the team has since lost credibility in the manner in which it has discharged its duties and singled out Chairman Isaack Hassan as the man who failed to live up to expectation.

“But at the time, we did not know about the Chickengate scandal,” he said adding: “But when your child becomes a thief, you don’t shield him from being taken to court,” in reference to IEBC officials named in the ‘Chickengate’ scandal.

Following a luncheon at State House on Tuesday, the CORD leaders disclosed that they discussed with Uhuru on the need to disband the electoral body and establish a new team.

According to Raila, no elections shall be held with the current IEBC commissioners in office.

He insisted that Kenyans had lost faith in the electoral body and must be disbanded through peaceful negotiations that should begin tomorrow.

Raila maintained that CORD is committed to maintaining peace and uniting the country, and asked the Jubilee administration to show goodwill by accepting the formation of the team to spearhead negotiations to end the IEBC stalemate.

“We were invited to State House yesterday (Tuesday) and we went there to show that we want peace and unity of this country. This country is bigger than any leader. We must dialogue over issues affecting this country,” said Raila.

He explained that they did not decline the invitation to attend the Afraha Stadium function, explaining that it came late when they had already prepared for the Uhuru Park rally.

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who is away in China, addressed the rally through phone and urged Kenyans not to relent in calling for reforms at IEBC.

“IEBC must go. We are not turning back. The Kenyan government should also ask for forgiveness for alleging ill-motive against our neighbour Tanzania that they are among countries out to overthrow Jubilee government,” said Kalonzo.

His co-principal and Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetang’ula insisted that the ills that existed at independence; diseases, poverty and illiteracy were still haunting Kenyans 53 years on.

Mr Wetang’ula said apart from the three ills, Kenya is riddled with poor governance and bad leadership and should be overhauled though elections.

“We are trying to bring cohesion. These are the thoughts CORD seeks to share with Jubilee and they reject them. We are seeking to sensitise Kenyans on the issues of bad governance,” explained Wetang’ula.

He said when the IEBC team goes home it won’t be one person selecting their replacements. During the informal talks, CORD insisted that every Kenyan who has attained the age of 18 must get a National Identity Card and subsequently register as a voter to exercise their constitutional right of voting.