Kenya Stockholm Blog

ODM-Scandinavia Statement After Election Rigging In Kenya

The rigging of elections in Kenya by Mwai Kibaki in cahoots with Electoral Commissioner Samuel Kivuitu and a gang of home guards surrounding Kibaki marks the darkest moment in Kenyan history. Kibaki has illegally installed himself as “President” at a secret function at State House and moments after his “swearing in”, the dictator banned live coverage of events in Kenya, imposed a media blackout and gave a “shoot to kill” order to the murderous GSU paramilitary personnel.

Because of the presence of GSU in the streets of major towns and cities, the whole country now looks like it is under military occupation. More than 10 civilians have been killed.

The country has been plunged into chaos as angry youths took to the streets to protest the open rigging of elections. ODM has announced that the Party will install the President elect Raila Amollo Odinga on Monday December 31st while the Party has also announced that it will set up a “Parallel government” as the struggle against the Kibaki dictatorship also begins in earnest.

The open rigging of elections by Kibaki has shocked millions of Kenyans who believed that the “era of rigging elections” went following the defeat of former Dictator Daniel arap Moi in 2002. Secondly, the failure by Kibaki to concede defeat after a clear victory has marked the end of the “democratic process” as a means of political Parties getting to power through “transparent elections” in Kenya.

After victory was stolen by Kibaki, we hope that ODM leadership will not build fresh illusions that they will seize power through another election in 2012 and it is for this reason that struggling from a position of “Parallel government” is significant.

The plan to install Raila Odinga as “The People’s President”, together with plans to set up a Parallel government promises to usher in the use of “alternative methods of struggle” to defeat a determined and murderous dictator whom Kibaki has now become. With Raila’s swearing in plan and “Parallel government” strategy, the options of struggle on the table for ODM is civil disobedience or mass insurrection to force Kibaki out of power.

ODM-Scandinavia congratulates the mother Party in Kenya for the bold decision it has taken to install Raila Odinga as “The People’s President” while the decision to form a parallel government is not just unprecedented in Kenya but also promises to take the anti-Kibaki struggle to new and lethal heights which, nevertheless, is rout with risks and dangers.

From an analytical perspective, Kibaki has now completed his cycle as a ruthless dictator and what will happen is that he will employ the use of the State machine to unleash violence against ODM leaders and supporters under the pretext of “threat to State security”. In a statement from “Internal security Ministry”, freedom of press was the first to be attacked with the banning of live news coverage and broadcast of material that could “incite” the public.

IMPERIALIST OBSERVERS ARE HOPELESS
For his political survival, the next freedom that the Kibaki dictatorship will curtail is “Freedom of Assembly” followed by an attack on “Freedom of Movement” to prevent ODM from organizing political rallies and stop its leaders from moving freely to advance the anti-Kibaki struggle. For this reason, ODM Scandinavia believes that the mother Party should have a long term strategy in directing the anti-Kibaki struggle in the streets ie “Plan B”

The easiest option for the Party will be to use the issue of rigging of elections to convince workers to lay down their tools in order to paralyze the government as mass protests in the streets also continue.

The inevitable eruption of anarchy in the streets (which will be delivered by the youth) will bring business to a standstill and deprive the government the “peaceful atmosphere” it needs to “boost investor confidence”. In Mombasa, ODM youths have the capacity to paralyze the tourism industry with Hotels running empty and tourists fleeing as violence escalates.

The inevitable and long term use of State violence against ODM leaders and supporters may call for a “Stringent options” otherwise it will be impossible for the Movement to address the question of force that will repeatedly be used by the Kibaki government to try and crush ODM.

The Party has 4 million plus followers and it is at this critical time that supporters need a strong leadership that can stand up to Dictator Kibaki who is reversing the democratic gains of the last 44 years.

Both British and US Imperialism has called on Kenyans to accept the rigged elections. This position should be a lesson to Kenyans that the so called election observers are hopeless and Kenyans should stop putting their hope on observers as a force that could enhance democracy and justice in Kenya.

To tell Kenyans to accept the results is tantamount to endorsing figures of an election which was rigged before the Media. It is a lesson that the interest of Imperialism in the situation is to maintain the status quo for purposes of a peaceful exploitation of Kenyan resources by Imperialist agents.

As ODM forms a parallel government in Kenya, ODM-Scandinavia states that it does not recognise the Kibaki dictatorship. The Party is fully behind initiatives by ODM and will work to realise the political objectives of the mother Party in Kenya.

Lastly, ODM-Scandinavia appeals to supporters in Scandinavia who have not yet registered with the Party to do so because the struggle against the Kibaki dictatorship has just began.

Martin Ngatia
Vice Chairperson
ODM Scandinavia Executive committee
 

December 31, 2007 - Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis