President Kibaki (second left) and Mr Raila Odinga (second right) after the ground breaking talks with former UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan (centre), Mrs Graca Machel and former Tanzanian president, Mr Benjamin Mkapa. They had just concluded the third round of joint peace talks at Harambee House, Nairobi, on Friday.
from the Standard | Online Edition
Hope as Kibaki, Raila break fresh ground, Published on February 9, 2008, 12:00 am, By Ben Agina and Peter Opiyo And Agencies
President Kibaki and Orange Democratic Movement leader Mr Raila Odinga have agreed to a negotiated a political settlement to the current crisis.
If the plan pulls off, modalities for either an interim government pending fresh elections, or Government of National Unity under President Kibaki, would be out next week.
The international mediating team led by former UN Secretary General, Dr Kofi Annan, announced the Government’s notable climbdown so far, on Friday, following joint talks with the two protagonists. Annan’s announcement came along with the caution that it was still premature to conclude a peace deal had been struck.
The deal, however, was a far cry from the Government’s long-standing position that the aggrieved should "go to court".
It also was a major shift from Kibaki’s team’s insistence that the President won and that a political settlement of whatever nature was out of question.
Asked about speculation Raila’s team had agreed to join the Kibaki Government under the banner of a negotiated power-sharing deal, Annan said the claim "was jumping the gun’’.
"We are all agreed that a political settlement is needed, that a political settlement is necessary and we are working out the details of such a settlement," the former United Nations chief told The Saturday Standard.
"Issues are still on the table and we will go back to them on Monday," he said, after meeting Kibaki and Raila.
Annan added: "I think everyone realises that we have a serious problem in the country … we also accept that we have to find a way of uniting and reconciling the nation."
"I sincerely hope that we will conclude our work on item three, the settlement of the political issues, by early next week," he added.
Signs that ODM and PNU may have moved closer to a settlement emerged when Annan called for an informal session of Parliament to convene as early as Tuesday, "so that we can brief them on the process where we are and where we are going".
"This (special session of Parliament) should probably be on Tuesday, but this is up to the President on when he will reconvene Parliament," Annan, told an international news conference attended by co-mediators, former South African First Lady Graca Machel and former Tanzania President Mr Benjamin Mkapa.
Though the parties recognised the need for a political solution to the crisis details of the scope of the political settlement and its implementation remained scanty.
However, the urgency and speed with which the process is expected to move was apparent with the mediation team hinting that by Tuesday all the issues touching the political crisis will have been finalised and an amicable agreement reached.
The Agenda Three
"Both parties have agreed that what is needed is a political solution to the crisis. We hope that we will reach a political settlement by next week on Agenda Three," Annan announced.
The third point, which includes sensitive political issues such as power-sharing, has proven the most problematic, with few concrete steps reported so far.
He added: "We have made useful discussion with the two principals and impressed upon them to support the process. I want the two leaders to support the men and women working on the negotiation process to strike a deal."
Earlier, Annan was emphatic that they cannot afford to fail in Kenya saying, "I’m not ready to contemplate failure. I’m not ready to give up now, and the team working with me are of the same spirit."
BBC radio quoted the respected diplomat and chief mediator asserting that they cannot afford to fail.
"It always begins with intransigence. But then one begins to encourage them to move and shift. And there have been some shifts. Perhaps not enough, but we will get there. They will have to shift. They will shift," Annan said.
Annan was referring to the joint efforts to reach a settlement on the crisis that engulfed the country soon after Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) chairman Mr Samuel Kivuitu declared Kibaki the winner of the December 27 presidential elections. The announcement was followed by a swift swearing-in of Kibaki for a second and final term; a few minutes after the disputed win.
"If anyone remains recalcitrant and difficult, I don’t think the population would accept it," Annan said.
"The average citizen of Kenya will know whom to blame and I don’t think people who are ambitious and believe they have political future would want to place themselves in that situation."
Quick to put out the news the international Press variously described the outcome, which the mediators played close to their chest as, "breakthrough" and "power-sharing".
The Associated Press quoted Eldoret North MP Mr William Ruto, a member of the ODM negotiating team saying: "We have finally agreed that there is a problem and neither side can proceed on its own.
"We have agreed to form a joint government. Details of that government, its time and how to share it are under discussions."
"Breakthrough," the BBC reported, but added that details remained as Annan was expected to make an announcement later in the day.
The post-election violence has led to the death of about 1,000, displaced at least 350,000, and led to massive destruction of property.
Quoting sources, Reuters reported that negotiators for President Kibaki and Mr Odinga had achieved a "breakthrough" in their dispute over the December 27 presidential election, local media and a source close to the talks said on Friday.
"Yes, it’s a big one. Dr Kofi Annan will come out soon and tell you all about it." To this Annan replied, "Please don’t pay to much attention to the rumours. Have faith and stay the cause." He appealed to the media to avoid speculating about the talks, but have faith and stay the course.
Speaking at Serena Hotel, Annan stated the urgent need for a political settlement.
"We have made great progress. We want to bring this issue to closure," Annan, who was flanked by Eminent Persons Mkapa and Grace, said.
Convene Parliament
The chief mediator, who also said he had met the Speaker of he National Assembly Mr Kenneth Marende said there was need for him to convene an informal session of Parliament (kamukunji) at the earliest opportunity to brief the MPs on the progress made.
Sources within the negotiating team noted that PNU wanted a recount of the presidential voter, expressing confidence that Kibaki would win with a majority.
On its part, ODM dismissed the recounting saying the ballot boxes would have been tampered with.
While PNU insists on a political settlement based along the lines of Government of National Unity, ODM wants a transitional government with an early election.
In the political settlement, we learnt ODM wants the functions of the State and the Government be separated. At one point Annan took a break from the morning session to meet the two teams separately to find a common ground.
Speaking after Annan and Mkapa, Graca said: "We have already made considerable progress. We acknowledge the country is divided and bleeding and it needs a process of healing and all parties must be engaged and that is why a political solution is the only way forward."
On his part, Mkapa, said the political solution will have different key issues and that the mediation teams had made considerable progress on the various issues in the Third Agenda.
Earlier, Annan met Kibaki and Raila and their negotiation teams at Harambee House, the Office of the President.
The teams emerged out of the Office of the President after meeting for about an hour.
Raila, Pentagon members, Musalia Mudavadi, Ms Charity Ngilu, Najib Balala and Ugenya MP, James Orengo, emerged together came with the Kibaki and Annan’s teams. But the President did not accompany them.
In the President’s team was Justice minister, Ms Martha Karua, Education minister, Prof Sam Ongeri, Foreign Affairs minister, Moses Wetangula and Mbooni MP, Mutula Kilonzo.
The Kibaki team then went back inside the building only to emerge, again without the President, close to an hour later.
Looking at the curious journalists, Mutula asked: "Are you waiting for us or the boss?" To which a journalist responded: "The boss. Will he be out soon, in about five minutes?"
Signs that the president would not address the media then became evident when the Presidential Press Service (PPS), disabled the public address system, while his security detail asked journalists to create room for the president’s motorcade.
Kibaki, came out at 6.17pm, 20 minutes after his team left the venue, he went straight into his waiting car.
