Azimio declare resumption of protests after Ramadhan, term parliamentary bipartisan talks insincere
The Azimio One Kenya Coalition has once again thrown spanner in the works and declared intention to resume countrywide after Ramadhan saying the bipartisan talks arrangement by their Kenya Kwanza counterparts are insincere and in bad faith.
Effectively, they have announced that they will not be participating in any parliamentary processes saying their rivals have displayed lack of transparency.
Instead, they demand for an all-inclusive and participatory extra-parliamentary process that will accommodate all stakeholders nationally.
While addressing the media today at SKM Command Center, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka said that they now want out of parliament talks since Kenya Kwanza has shown no intention to hold honest dialogues.
This decision, Kalonzo added, was met after they got wind of a motion Kenya Kwanza has drafted which they say is “allegedly aimed at setting up a joint select committee in Parliament.”
He was flanked by the Azmio leadership including Raila Odinga, Martha Karua, Jeremiah Kioni among others.
The Raila led coalition gave varied reasons for their last-minute decision is rooting for an extra-parliamentary dialogue.
Raila had earlier indicated that the bipartisan talks should be similar to those held by the late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2008.
“Any reasonable observer of happenings in the last few weeks will agree with us that Kenya Kwanza has no intention whatsoever to hold any dialogue at all, let alone one that is honest, transparent and bipartisan. They have exhibited absolute bad faith from the beginning.” Kalonzo said.
He further accused President William Ruto side of dictating the process alleging that there was a plan to set up a joint select committee in Parliament.
“Last evening, we learned of a motion drafted by Kenya Kwanza leadership allegedly aimed at setting up a joint selection, the motion is in absolute bad faith because we have insisted on an extra-parliamentary process, we will therefore not participate in any such parliamentary process,” he added.
He noted that the motion is disguised as a product of bipartisanship when in fact the leadership of Azimio in Parliament was neither aware nor consulted in its drafting.
“The motion purports to name members of the Minority Party to the so-called select committee without any reference to the Minority leadership in violation of the Standing Orders of both houses,” he said.
The coalition maintained it remains committed to an extra-parliamentary dialogue that is honest, transparent, meaningful and bipartisan in conception and execution.
“We have instructed the Chairperson of our team to formally invite the Kenya Kwanza team for a meeting to set the ground rules for the talks” said Kalonzo.
The coalition which has vowed to resume its weekly protests after Ramadhan wants the government to clear the hospital bills of all those who were injured during the protests that were put on hold to pave way for talks.
“Our issues remain what we said they are: reduction in cost of unga, fuel, electricty and school fees; opening and audit of IEBC servers; bipartisan reform and reconstitution of IEBC, reinstatement of the four IEBC commissioners, and end to the buying of MPs which threatens multiparty democracy” Kalonzo said.
