CORD want the ICC trials to proceed.

[Ab-Titchaz]

CORD RESOLVES ICC TRIALS TO PROCEED.

PHOTO | JENNIFER MUIRURI Moses Wetang’ula (left), Senator James Orengo (centre) with Cord party leader Raila Odinga (right) during a press conference at the Orange House on October 29, 2013. NATION MEDIA GROUP

By LUCAS BARASA

In Summary

• A meeting chaired by Mr Odinga was reported to have been unanimous that Cord maintains the position it has always held on the 2007/8 post-election violence
• Mr Odinga said while he was away, he had learnt that some Cord MPs were supporting the push by the AU for the deferral of the cases at the ICC

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy on Tuesday resolved that the trial of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy at The Hague should continue as scheduled.

It rejected efforts by a section of its members to have its leader, Mr Raila Odinga, join the campaign to have the cases deferred.

A meeting chaired by Mr Odinga was reported to have been unanimous that Cord maintains the position it has always held on the 2007/8 post-election violence.

“Our position on ICC is very clear. We have not changed. In requesting for deferral of the two cases, the Jubilee Government should invoke the Rome Statute itself. Nothing else allows deferral,” Siaya Senator James Orengo who read a statement on behalf of Cord, said.

The President is scheduled to go on trial on November 12. The trial of Deputy President William Ruto on crimes against humanity charges is on-going. Kenya, with the support of the African Union, has launched a vigorous campaign to persuade the UN Security Council to postpone the trial for a year.

Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’ raised the ICC issue under “any other business” (AOB, pointing out that the media were signalling Cord might change its position.

According to those who attended the meeting and later spoke to the Daily Nation, at this point Mr Odinga, the Prime Minister in the last administration, explained to the meeting why the ICC was coming up.

Mr Odinga, who returned on Sunday from a week-long tour of the US where he was promoting his book, said while he was away, he had learnt that some Cord MPs were supporting the push by the AU for the deferral of the cases at the ICC.

Sources at the meeting said former Foreign Affairs assistant minister Richard Onyonka (Kitutu Chache South, ODM), who has been spearheading the parliamentary initiative, was then asked to explain his push for the deferral. (READ: Kenyan minister in US as lobbying for deferral begins)

GRINDING TO A HALT

The sources said Mr Onyonka maintained the position taken by MPs who favoured deferral that the country was grinding to a halt and it was time politicians united to secure a one-year postponement of the cases.

Mr Onyonka, the sources said, argued that for the country to move forward, it would be better if Cord added more weight to the push for deferral by possibly Mr Odinga making a presentation during the Thursday meeting by the AU Council of ministers accompanied by President Kenyatta.

In return for backing the deferral push, Cord leaders could demand that the government abandons the motion passed by both the Senate and National Assembly calling for Kenya to pull out of the Rome Statute.

The AU Council of Ministers, led by chairman Tedros Adhanom of Ethiopia is already in New York lobbying the UN Security Council for the deferral of the cases.

The AU has written a 20-page letter, which was submitted to the UN Security Council’s president of the month, Azerbaijani’s Agshin Mehdiyev by Kenya’s ambassador to the UN, Mr Macharia Kamau.

On Tuesday, the Nation learnt that most speakers at the parliamentary group meeting attended by members of the National Assembly, senators and National Executive Council members, said the ICC process should proceed.

Cord co-principal Moses Wetang’ula and Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama also attended.

Wiper Democratic party leader Kalonzo Musyoka did not attend as he was said to be out of the country.

Reported by LUCAS BARASA and BERNARD NAMUNANE.

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/politi...enyatta/-/1064/2052836/-/9nenyjz/-/index.html

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

CORD fights off claims of having backed deferral of ICC cases

ODM leader Raila Odinga (second right) and other CORD leaders during a press briefing on the outcome of their meeting in Nairobi, Tuesday. [Photo: Mbugua Kibera/Standard]

By Geoffrey Mosoku and Moses Njagih

Nairobi, Kenya: A crucial CORD meeting ended dramatically Tuesday, with the opposition having to fight off reports that they had backed the deferral of cases facing President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto at the International Criminal Court.

However, the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leadership did leave the door open for consultations with the government over the two cases at The Hague, the Netherlands.

The opposition leaders had to call another press conference to clarify that their meeting had not supported a deferral of the cases — moments after President Uhuru’s party, The National Alliance, praised the development.

The controversy came ahead of tomorrow’s meeting in New York where Kenya and African ministers plan to lobby the UN Security Council to suspend for a year the trials of the Kenyan leaders over the 2007-2008 election-related violence.

Tuesday, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula led the meeting attended by over 150 members.

Three organs

The meeting, at Orange House in Nairobi, brought together three organs: the parliamentary group, the governors’ summit and the national executive committee.

A statement read by Siaya Senator James Orengo said CORD strongly supported the ICC process, but did not rule out engaging in discussions with those calling for a deferral of the cases.

“For the record, CORD has not changed its position and we are prepared to have a structured and constructive engagement with both the government and the international community within the context of the Rome Statute to ensure that victims get justice and impunity is punished,” Orengo said.

But CORD’s statement that they were willing to engage in discussions with the ruling coalition on the deferral bid triggered drama and confusion.

The reports caused ripples, with The National Alliance (TNA) — the President’s party — sending out a statement to welcome the opposition’s move.

“We welcome the resolution by CORD to support the deferral of the ICC cases and their commitment to a structured bipartisan approach to the matter,” said TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja in a statement soon after some media houses sent out news alerts announcing CORD had backed the deferral bid.

But Orengo later called newsrooms to clarify CORD’s position.

“Of primary concern to us is justice and ending impunity. There is no other way to deliver justice and end impunity other than for these cases to proceed to their logical conclusion. I don’t know where this confusion is coming from,” he said.

Orengo sought to further clarify their support for a structured engagement with Jubilee, saying it was meant to counter plans by Jubilee to withdraw Kenya from the Rome Statute as it contradicted the very application by AU before the Security Council, which is premised on the Rome Statute.

“Our argument was that already the application before the UN Security Council is based on Article 16 of the Rome Statute and thus, if we replace it and withdraw from ICC, then what legal basis can Kenya rely on in making the application?” he said.

Orengo argued that Kenya could push for an amendment of the Rome Statute during the Assembly of State Parties to shield a sitting president from attending trial while in office, in line with the Kampala proposal.

After calls to journalists, Orengo and fellow senators Johnstone Muthama, Otieno Kajwang’ and Janet Ong’era followed through with a press conference.

The development rekindled the controversy during the tenure of the coalition government following a letter reportedly authored by ODM urging the UNSC to disregard a petition then filed by the Kenyan authorities.

Tuesday, the four CORD-allied senators denied reports that the coalition had resolved to support calls for a deferral of the ICC cases.

They said instead they were keen to ensure that justice is served for the post-election violence victims.

“We are keen on ensuring justice for the victims and also ensuring that impunity is punished. Reports that we have changed position over the matter is only a spin to support an earlier erroneous rumour that had been peddled in the newspapers,” said Orengo.

Ong’era said the coalition was encouraging President Uhuru to attend the trials at The Hague, saying any attempts by Kenya to pull out of the Rome Statute would send signals that the country is turning into a banana republic.

“We have seen the evidence that is being adduced in the ICC and it is very shoddy. We are encouraging the President to attend the trials and we are sure he will soon be vindicated. He should not be seen to fear the process,” said Ong’era.

Kajwang’ accused Uhuru and his Jubilee team of shifting their positions on the court, cautioning that their calls for a deferral were indicative that suspects of the post-election violence may never be tried.

End of justice

“What will stop the President asking for a deferral if he wins the next elections? And further, what will stop Ruto doing the same if he becomes President after Uhuru? This would mean that there will be no trials for the next 20 years, and that would be the end of justice for the victims,” said Kajwang’.

Earlier at the Orange House meeting, Kitutu Chache MP Richard Onyonka made a case for the bipartisan push by MPs to reach a deal to be presented at the UNSC.

But some MPs reportedly spoke out against the proposal but were willing to engage with their Jubilee counterparts only if they are formally approached.

“We are not opposed to any discussions but they must be structured and constructive. This does not mean we support the deferral bid,” said Orengo.

This particular position was informed by concerns by party supporters, who had called Raila to state that CORD would have betrayed them if they supported the deferral bid.

Standard Digital News - Kenya : CORD fights off claims of having backed deferral of ICC cases

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

'CARRY YOUR OWN CROSS' UHURU TOLD

Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama. Photo/FILE

In Summary

• Mr Muthama said the country needed to remain in the Rome Statute, arguing, the International Criminal Court (ICC) prevented a repeat of violence during elections in March because leaders and Kenyans feared being pursued by the court.

Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama has said the country should not be dragged into the cases facing the President and his deputy, saying, the two should pursue the cases as individuals.


Mr Muthama said the country needed to remain in the Rome Statute, arguing, the International Criminal Court (ICC) prevented a repeat of violence during elections in March because leaders and Kenyans feared being pursued by the court.

“Let President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto pursue their cases at the Hague, but the country should not be dragged into the matter with calls to pull out of the Rome Statute,” he said.

On arguments that the country had turned a new leaf and people had chosen to be peaceful, Mr Muthama said it was only because of the ICC threat that politicians feared to instigate violence in March.

The Machakos Senator said the African leaders who are pushing, through the African Union (AU), for withdrawal from the Rome Statute were insincere. Most were behind human rights abuses in their own countries, and the ICC was created to protect people against abusive leaders, he added.

Mr Muthama was speaking during a church fund-raiser at the African Brotherhood Church in Nairobi.

President Kenyatta, his Deputy William Ruto and former radio broadcaster Joshua Sang are facing charges of crimes against humanity during the 2008 post-election violence.

Mr Ruto’s and Mr Sang’s case is ongoing in The Hague.

Mr Muthama also criticised Police Inspector-General David Kimaiyo for investigating journalists over their coverage of the Westgate shopping mall terrorist attack.

Carry your own cross, Uhuru Kenyatta told - Politics - nation.co.ke

 

[Jammu Africa]

So,,what was the meeting about??????????????

A very confused CORD. It does not know where to run to.

It started the ICC fire,,,with the devilish intention of,,''fixing up
their political enemies,,,,,but instead,,the enemies get international
limelight,,where everybody is talking about.

Raila went to the US,,,,,sijui,,with 'his governors', instead of telling
us what they got there,,,he comes and hurredly,,calls for a CORD
meeting to talk of,,sijui,,supporting the Jubilee.

First,,Jubilee does not need their support,,,because they ask,,how
can you throw me into fire,,,,then call for a meeting of deciding
how to get me out of it?????

While in the USA,,,Raila came to face with the bitter reality,,,,that
the US and brothers,,,,are,,,this time willing to listen to the African
Unity,,for it will be very hard,,for them to ignore what the AU
is suggesting.

Do you think that Raila did not meet high ranking officials of the govermnet
of USA,,,,who broke the bad news to him????????????

That,,,we are going to be forced to act favorably,,,on the AU suggestions.

This must have hit him hard,,,seeing the same thing happening in Kenya where
half of CORD,,supporting deferral.

So Raila being,,somehow smart,,thought,,that,, had to do something,,,that he
has to be seen,,,on the winner's side,,that of UhuRuto,,,and he was willing to
bow and make that bitter announcement,,that,,,,

He was going,,this time,,,to support UhuRuto's and AU's quest for
a deferral.

Not because it was the right thing,,,but because that is what is seen as if will
happen,,for that is what everybody is speaking about.

But the other CORD members revolted,,against this idea,,for they
asked themselves,,how will they appear to their supporters and
enemies.

Very bad,,it will give a very bad picture of them,,as people who
have no ideas and very weak.
.......................................................................................................................................................................

This,,,,,,NGUMBARU,,,,,CORD LEADER??????????????????????????
A man who made so much wealth by exporting GOLD when Kenya
was mining,,NONE.