Kenya opposition suspends talks, protests flare
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition suspended talks with President Mwai Kibaki's party on Tuesday and police fired teargas to disperse opposition supporters protesting at deepening deadlock over a power-sharing cabinet.
Kibaki and his rival Raila Odinga traded blame on Monday after a disagreement over how to share ministries delayed the naming of the cabinet for the second time in two days.
"We have resolved that negotiations ... be suspended until (Kibaki's party) fully recognises the 50/50 power-sharing arrangement and the principle of portfolio balance," Anyang' Nyong'o, secretary-general of Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement, told a news conference.
The protests in Nairobi's Kibera slum were the biggest since Kibaki and Odinga reached a power-sharing deal in February to end a crisis that killed at least 1,200 people after Kibaki's disputed re-election in December.
"People are burning tyres and shouting. Police are firing teargas and also firing into the air ... I think there are over 100 protesters," said witness Justine Mokua.
TEMPERATURE RISING
The tough words from both sides have revived fears for political progress and modest economic recovery in Kenya.
"I believe the temperature is rising among Kenyans and so I pray things won't get out of control," said John Mwangi, a 50-year-old businessman in Nairobi.
Most of the disagreement centres on a handful of ministries that Odinga's ODM said Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) had promised to give up.
Odinga, the country's prime minister-designate, said he was ready to discuss the cabinet again with Kibaki once there was "clarity" over the disputed ministries. Kibaki said he was ready to conclude the process at the earliest possible opportunity.
"The reason they want them is because there's money there," she said. "If there is a corruption-free government it shouldn't matter who has what. It seems everybody is bent on securing something for themselves and that's what makes us upset."
Mmmm, 'corruption' - you don't say!
.... and then this from our own Nation Media Alerts:
Message from PNU MP's to ODM: Drop conditions and resume talks, Kibaki hands not tied by current Cabinet, ready for lean Govt - or even fresh elections.
It really sounds like we are not just stepping backwards, but running at high speed !
9 comments:
Oh dear friend! How sad - and stressful!
Power is so evil!
So again I sit here wringing my hands and worrying about your country! And thinking about you!
Be careful!
WTF!??? So is violence the answer? blistering barnacles!!
Hi MC
No, Kenya isn't running backwards, it is standing still.
Some legislators were corrupt, and some still are. They are just holding out for the meaty bits - no change there then.
And don't think that Kenya, Africa or the rest of the developing world is alone in this. Politicians are politicians and are crooked, otherwise they wouldn't be politicians.
To the non-corrupt politicians, I apologise to both of you, for lumping you in with the rest.
DM
Oh how I miss MOI. Funga the bastards - Yemenis alqaeda wing disguised as kenyans, rift valley warlords etc. Funga wote bila trial. Appoint hard working 20 ministers na kazi iendelee! Ati peace in the country depends on ODM hooligans. Peace should be the default. Funga ghasia...Wacha sasa wajue all those well-wishers who funded their campaigns did not do it for nothing! These are the people holding ODM by the balls - no wonder they desperately need ministries to cut deals to please financiers..mtaimba!
It ain't over, till it's over...
ODM needs to give it a rest. Kudos to Kibaki for refusing to let ODM hold the country hostage with threats of violence!
Oh for goodness sake! Selfishly, I'm just thinking "I've just booked my ticket out to Kenya... maybe if I had waited, I could have got it cheaper".
The other part of me is thinking "will things never change in Africa?"
Keep us updated if you can.
I can hardly believe it. :-(
Kenyans are sick and tired to the point of almost giving up !! The current protests are being propagated by paid hooligans uprooting the railway in Kibera and looking for unburnt property to set aflame in Kisumu (I understand that is quite difficult).
Both sides are posturing and threatening each other with fresh elections, did I hear a whole Member of Parliament saying "Bring it on" like this is a game of truth and dare. Not one of these ***holes has the funding to go through another election they are just fanning the embers of the PEV to create more animosity.
There are IDPs who had somewhat resettled back in some areas of the Rift Vallley, they had started preparing the land for a new crop. Now they are back at the camps, scared that the violence may be back!
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