Kenya’s ruling party joins opposition coalition for presidency bid.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday said his party had joined an opposition coalition ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections in August in a bid to clean up politics of “crooks”.
The announcement came after Kenyatta’s anointed successor William Ruto, who wants to contest the presidential election, was sacked from the ruling Jubilee party.
“I heard one person saying that there is nowhere in the world where a government unites with and supports the opposition,” Kenyatta said, announcing that Jubilee was joining the Azimio la Umoja (Quest for Unity) coalition headed by veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga.
“Kenya will be the example. We are mature enough to distinguish between politics and the needs of the people.”
The East African powerhouse has traditionally been ruled by presidents from the dominant Kikuyu tribe like Kenyatta or the Kalenjin tribe like Ruto.
This year’s contest is shaping up to be a two-horse race between Ruto and Raila, a mainstay of Kenyan politics from the Luo community.
Ruto was initially anointed by Kenyatta as his successor but found himself marginalized after arch-foes Kenyatta and Odinga announced a truce in 2018.
“We are looking to create a movement that will deliver the country,” Kenyatta said.
The Azimio la Umoja coalition is expected to pick its preferred presidential candidate in two weeks.
But many observers say Odinga’s nomination is a foregone conclusion.
“We are in this to restore the soul and secure the future of our people,” Odinga said on Saturday.
“If we stand together, I am sure nothing will defeat us.”
The 77-year-old — a former political prisoner and prime minister — will then likely head into the polls without his usual fiery anti-establishment image.
– ‘One strong man’ –
Kenyatta for his part said the coalition “will discuss and pick one strong man to face the crooks on the other side”.
With its diverse population and ethnic voting blocs, elections in Kenya have often been marred by violence.
More than 1,100 Kenyans lost their lives in 2007 when a disputed election result sparked tribal violence.
The rapprochement between Odinga and Kenyatta came about after post-election fighting in 2017 left dozens of people dead.
The pair unsuccessfully tried to introduce sweeping constitutional changes as a way to end repeated cycles of election violence.
The reforms — popularly known as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI)– proposed expanding the executive and parliament to more evenly divide the spoils of victory.
But it was seen by critics as a way to enable Kenyatta — a two-term president who cannot run for a third — to remain in power by establishing the post of prime minister.
The government has appealed a court ruling that rejected the proposals and said Kenyatta could even be sued in a civil court for launching the process.
Burkina junta says the country will return to constitutional rule only when “strong”
Burkina Faso’s ruling junta, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (French: Mouvement patriotique pour la sauvegarde et la restauration, MPSR), holds a press conference to respond to the proposal of the 30-month transition period to return to constitutional rule by a newly created Transition Charter committee. The MPSR says this period cannot be “fixed,” and that the transition can only take place when the West African nation has “reached a certain level of strength.”
A commission created by the junta that seized power in Burkina Faso last month has proposed a 30-month transition period before the country returns to constitutional rule, military and government sources said Thursday.
The commission “proposes a 30-month transition led” by junta leader Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, a military source said.
It also suggests “the establishment of a small government and legislative body” with a maximum of 20 and 50 members respectively.
The proposal was confirmed by a source close to the presidency, who said that “inclusive general elections” would be held after the transition period.
Burkina Faso was rocked by the ouster on January 24 of its elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore.
Soldiers angered at his handling of a bloody six-year-old jihadist insurgency took control.
Damiba, 41, was sworn in on February 16 as president, head of state, and supreme commander of the armed forces for an interim period — a key issue that remains undefined.
Burkina became the third nation in West Africa, after Mali and Guinea, to suffer a military takeover in less than 18 months.
Mali and Guinea have been hit with tough sanctions by the region’s bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), for delays in returning to civilian rule.
Burkina, like those countries, has been suspended from ECOWAS activities.
But so far it has escaped wider punishment, following talks with envoys who reported on a positive tone from the junta.
– Timetable question –
The bloc has called on the junta to establish a “reasonable” timetable “for returning to constitutional order” — a term that implies the military’s withdrawal from political life and the holding of democratic elections.
The commission’s report, a draft charter, and agenda for the transition were handed to Damiba on Wednesday, but their contents have not been made public.
The source close to the presidency said the report would be put to the junta and to a group gathering political parties, trade unions, and civil society.
The 15-member commission that drew up the package included legal experts, sociologists, economists, and military officers.
The panel’s head, Mariame Ouattara, said its work was “inspired by directives given by the junta.”
She said that the commission had added a proposed “charter of values to support the rebuilding” of the country.
After receiving the report, Damiba thanked the commission for its “commitment” and said the panel had worked “on an unpaid basis and in total independence,” his office said.
The junta, which calls itself the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration (MPSR), says its priority is “security.”
Since the first jihadist attacks in 2015, more than 2,000 people have died, while the country’s emergencies agency says more than 1.5 million people have fled their homes.
Kabore was arrested and remains under house arrest, despite international calls for his release.
Moroccans rally to protest soaring prices
Thousands of Moroccans staged nationwide protests Sunday to complain about the soaring prices of fuel and other essential commodities.
In the capital of Rabat and other cities throughout the Kingdom, thousands of Moroccans rallied on Sunday. They all protested the soaring cost of living.
The Northern African state is one of the latest countries hit by a surge in global energy prices, which are driving inflation numbers at decades-high levels.
The demonstrations coincided with the 11th anniversary of the wave of protests known as the Feb. 20 movement inspired by the 2011 Arab Spring. For Abdelhamid Amine, the head of the Moroccan Democratic Front, the Feb.20 movement remains today a source of inspiration: “We must resist tyranny and corruption, promote the slogan “Get rid of this police state”, and build democracy under the slogan of dignity, freedom, equality, and social justice. The February 20 Movement must continue to free our country of injustice and tyranny. We must strive for dignity and social justice.”
Human rights activist, Abderrazek Boughanbour, thinks, “The state is engaging in a power struggle with Moroccan men and women” which “has affected their livelihoods”. Adding, “We say to the Moroccan state: Stop the unpopular policy, which targets the pockets of Moroccans.”
The government blamed the spike in prices of basic goods on the global post-pandemic economic recovery, the increase in prices of grains and oil products on international markets as well as the worst drought the country has experienced in decades.
On Thursday, the minister delegate, Fouzi Lekjaa, in charge of the budget noted the government had allocated funds to supporting the agricultural sector in addition to measures aimed at alleviating the strain on Moroccan households. He still acknowledged the efforts remained “insufficient” for addressing the crisis.
CARICOM condemns Russian invasion of Ukraine
The 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping has joined the global community in “strongly” condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called for an “immediate and complete withdrawal” of military forces from the Eastern European country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday launched the military operation in Ukraine, with explosions heard across the country and Ukraine’s foreign minister warning a “full-scale invasion” was underway.
Weeks of intense diplomacy and the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia failed to deter Putin, who had massed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops along the borders of Ukraine.
Russia has demanded an end to NATO’s eastward expansion and said Ukrainian membership of the US-led Atlantic military alliance was unacceptable.
Last week, CARICOM urged “all parties involved to act responsibly” and said Moscow should withdraw its troops and the “cessation of any further actions that may intensify the current dangerous situation in that country.
“The recognition by The Russian Federation of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk represents a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine,” CARICOM said. It added that “the hostilities against Ukraine go counter to the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state and the prohibition on the threat or use of force, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, which are the bedrock of this Community.
“CARICOM maintains that the principles of universal respect and adherence to these norms and principles of international law are fundamental to the maintenance of the international system and global peace and security.
“CARICOM calls on all parties involved to urgently embark on intensified diplomatic dialogue to immediately de-escalate hostilities and work towards a sustainable peace,” the statement added.
Western countries have reacted to the invasion by imposing economic sanctions on Russia and its leadership.
