MPs fault AU over Raila's mediation in Ivory Coast crisis

By VITALIS KIMUTAI

Fifteen MPs, including four Cabinet ministers allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto, said the African Union erred in appointing Raila to mediate in the Ivory Coast crisis.

Backed by several councillors and the clergy, the leaders gave the strongest indication yet that they would be ditching ODM for the United Democratic Movement (UDM).

They have vowed to rally behind Ruto in the 2012 presidential election despite an expected legal battle at The Hague.

The MPs said they there would be a political divorce between them, ODM party and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Belgut MP Charles Keter was more blunt on their relationship with the PM, saying the association had come to an end with the close of the year.

"Our relationship with Raila has come to an end. It is the end of a chapter in our political history. The new year ushers in a permanent political divorce with him," Keter said.

At the same time, they urged President Kibaki to initiate the process of getting the country out of the International Criminal Court.

On the presidency, Ruto said he had a plan, enough friends and supporters to get him to State House.

He said that those who had schemed against him and named him in the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reports over the post poll violence would not succeed. "We did not plan any chaos, we did not distribute any arms as claimed in the report which has been used by the ICC," he said.

He said his tribulations would soon be over. Information and Communication Minister Samuel Poghisio, and assistant ministers Margaret Kamar, Jebii Kilimo and Adan Duale said Kibaki should implement vote by Parliament on the Rome Statute.

"We agreed to pull out of the Rome Statute as Parliament and that decision on behalf of Kenyans stands," Kamar said.

Duale said Kenyans had a right to pull out of the Rome Statute as the ICC process had been abused for political expediency.

"The ICC and Rome Statute are not a Koran nor the Bible, they are subjected to scrutiny and any country can pull out of it just like Russia, India and China did," Duale said.

Emgwen MP Elijah Lagat said should Raila continue hitting out at them, they would sponsor a no confidence Motion against him.