The Orange Democratic Movement in Scandinavia congratulates President Mwai Kibaki and Hon Raila Odinga for having reached a power sharing agreement after days of uncertainty on a critical issue that has been holding our country hostage. We take this opportunity to thank Hon Kofi Annan and his team of Eminent Africans and the African Union for a job well done. Likewise, ODM Scandinavia thanks the two teams of negotiators from both ODM and PNU for their time and commitment during the long and arduous process of working out a deal. There have been ups and downs, agreements and disagreements but at long last, the two Parties have an acceptable deal.
Most importantly, ODM-Scandinavia takes this opportunity to thank supporters, well wishers and sympathizers especially those based in Kenya, some of whom paid with their precious lives so that Kenya can be where it is today. The Mass actions ODM has been calling across the country have been fundamental in keeping the negotiation process alive and it is for this outstanding contribution that ODM supporters in Kenya also need special recognition.
The deal, that was signed today at a public ceremony in Nairobi, entails the creation of the post of an Executive Prime Minister who must come from the Party with majority seats in Parliament, the creation of two Deputy Prime Ministers nominated from ODM and PNU, a 50-50 sharing of Cabinet positions, a Cabinet that comprises of a President, Vice president, Prime Minister and other Cabinet ministers, among other recommendations.
According to the deal, the Prime Minister can only be dismissed through a vote of no confidence in Parliament while the deal also allows for the dissolution of the Coalition if one of the Coalition members pulls out or if the Coalition agrees to do so in writing.
Further, the deal provides that members of the Cabinet cannot be fired without consultations between the Coalition parties. Most importantly, the agreement states that terms of the agreement will be entrenched in the Kenyan Constitution and this will make the deal not just legally binding but also permanently feasible. ODM-Scandinavia believes that there is enough checks and balances to ensure a long term survival of the agreement unlike the MoU which collapsed soon after Narc seized power.
After a careful study of the agreement, ODM-Scandinavia believes that the deal is fair under the circumstances and that it should be acceptable to the Kenyan people who have been waiting for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Our view is that the agreement covers major areas of concern on the question of power sharing and there is enough reason to believe that it is workable.
With the impossibility of the President single handedly firing members of the Cabinet, and with the provision that terms of the agreement will be entrenched in the Constitution, ODM Scandinavia believes that the deal has enough checks and balances to guarantee a democratic and viable Coalition government that will rescue Kenyan from the current crisis. It is for this reason that ODM is encouraging members and other Kenyans of good will to accept the deal.
Another important aspect of the deal is that the Coalition can be dissolved if one of the parties pulls out. What this means is that this provision will check the recklessness of government and encourage consultations especially on sensitive issues, unlike the past when the President had all powers and took all decisions in the running of government because the power arrangement was based on a “Winner take it all” configuration.
ODM-Scandinavia welcomes the convening of Parliament next Thursday to begin the implementation process of the deal. The view of the Party branch is that the deal is a step forward in Kenya’s democratization process and that the agreement should be supported by all progressive Kenyans genuinely looking for ways of strengthening democracy and the rule of law in our country.
Lastly, ODM Scandinavia congratulates leaders of the mother Party for having lived to expectation by not accepting a diluted and weak deal which could have compromised the lives that have already been lost in the process of searching for a solution, the human suffering that has been experienced, the destruction of property that has been witnessed, the instability the country has experienced in the last two months and the insecurity that has been rampant in Kenya since the crisis began on 30th December.
The signing of a seemingly acceptable deal means that the suffering and sacrifices Kenyans have gone through has not been in vain. ODM Scandinavia believes that the next step should be dominated by activities linked to implementation of the agreement, reconciliation to heal the wounds that have been created and reconstruction as part of the strategy to move the country forward.
ODM Scandinavia appeals to Kenyans in Stockholm to take note of developments in Kenya and reach out to one another as part of the healing and reconciliation process that will now rescue our country from the abyss of chaos and uncertainty. Long live Kenya, Long live the struggle for democracy and the rule of law in our country.
Mrs Hellen Opwapo,
Chairperson, ODM Scandinavia
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