Raila’s terms for talks with Kibaki on crisis

Mon, December 31, 2007
By NATION TeamLast updated: Mon, Dec 31, 2007 21:58 PM (EAT)
ODM has set the resignation of President Kibaki as their condition for talks over the disputed General Election results.
To sit at a negotiation table with President Kibaki while still in office, said party presidential candidate Raila Odinga, would amount to endorsing a government that was “illegitimately” in power.
While reiterating that he was the “rightfully” elected president, Mr Odinga appealed to all ODM supporters to remain calm and stop engaging in violence.
“We can only engage in talks with President Kibaki if he resigns from office. For us to start negotiations with him while he is still holding office, it would be equal to accepting that he is legitimately in office when we know he is not. His is an illegitimate government,” he said.
Speaking at the Inter-Continental Hotel after leading the Pentagon members in a meeting with the Canadian high commissioner Ross Hynes, said they would not let the Government off the hook until Kenyans get their democratic rights.
Flanked by Pentagon members Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Joseph Nyaga, Najib Balala, Charity Ngilu and party secretary general Anyang’ Nyong’o, he said they would hold a meeting on Thursday — expected to be attended by a million supporters — to push for his recognition as the “legitimately” elected President.
“We will engage in mass action which would be peaceful. We have called for a peaceful rally on Thursday and the police have been given the necessary notifications. We do not want them coming to our meeting dressed the way they did today (yesterday),” he said.
And he cautioned that the mass action would not fizzle out as the Government was expecting until the elections disputes have been solved.
“Times have changed and Kenyans are now more informed. They will hold out for the truth until they get it,” he said. Votes cast
Earlier, Mr Odinga had ruled out talks with President Kibaki. Addressing an international Press conference at Orange House, Mr Odinga claimed ODM’s tally showed he defeated President Kibaki with one million votes and therefore could not recognise him as President.
He said he had evidence of massive rigging in Thursday’s polls.
“Nothing would stop the ruling clique from repeating the same thing five years from now,” he said.
Mr Odinga said votes for President Kibaki were “well” doctored especially from Coast, Upper Eastern and North Eastern Province where he had no support to enable him get the statutory 25 per cent of votes cast in five provinces.
Votes for Mr Kibaki from Kisii region and Western Province were also inflated, he said.