Annan pleads for grand coalition government - PNU protests

Annan pleads for grand coalition government

By BERNARD NAMUNANE Last updated: 1 hour ago

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan Tuesday hinted at a grand coalition government to end Kenya’s post election crisis, but the move was immediately challenged by the Government.
Mr Annan said the tradition all over the world was to join the two sides in the conflict in one government to enact reforms that will pave the way for free and fair polls.
“A coalition government is an open option when a country is in a crisis and right now we are faced with a serious political crisis. The two sides come together and commit to sort out issues such as constitutional reforms and then organise an election,” he told MPs during an informal sitting at Old Parliament Chambers.

But the statement was immediately challenged by the Government, with Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Martha Karua, who is the team leader, saying a coalition government had neither been discussed nor agreed on at the talks.
Inaccurate statement
“My team is alarmed at some serious inaccurate statement made by Your Excellency at the briefing of parliamentarians today. Namely you stated that ‘the dialogue team had agreed to have a transitional government for two years after which we shall hold Presidential elections’ which position has not been discussed or agreed upon,” Ms Karua told Mr Annan.
The Government summoned its MPs to a Parliamentary Group Meeting, chaired by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka to discuss Mr Annan’s remarks.

Mr Musyoka later said the Government side had only proposed establishment of a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, committee to investigate the truth behind the 2007 General Election, among others as a way to unlock the crisis.
More than 1,000 people have died as a result of the disputed Presidential election and more than 350,000 displaced in six weeks of violence.

Meanwhile, President George W. Bush and UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon will discuss Kenya’s post-election crisis in Washington on Friday.
In Nairobi, Mr Annan asked leaders to cast aside their partisan interests to reach an acceptable decision.


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