Kenya’s opposition vowed on Monday to defy a government ban on demonstrations and keep up demands for President Mwai Kibaki to call new elections after last week’s rejection of a new Constitution he backed.
Leaders of the Orange Democratic Movement said the ban is illegal and they will not halt protests to press Kibaki to hold snap polls following the defeat of the charter in a November 21 referendum.
”This is unconstitutional, illegal, highly provocative and irresponsible,” the group said in a statement, which claimed the ban has ”caused consternation and anxiety” among Kenya’s 32-million people.
”It is tantamount to declaring a politically motivated state of emergency at time of complete peace and harmony in the country,” it said, calling for a dialogue with Kibaki to cool the situation.
”There is, therefore, absolutely no reason for such a ban and we will exercise our democratic and legal rights to continue to hold our meetings peacefully,” it said.
Amid the opposition howls of protest, Kibaki’s office announced the president met on Monday with former president Daniel arap Moi, whose 24 years in power were marked by strong-arm tactics.
”Their talks centred on various issues of national and regional importance,” Kibaki’s office said.
Moi opposed the new Constitution and still carries significant political clout in the East African nation despite his regime’s reputation for corruption and authoritarian policies.
Ban announcement
Monday’s developments followed the announcement of the demonstration ban late on Sunday by Vice-President Moody Awori, who rejected demands for fresh elections made at a mass rally in the capital a day earlier.
Awori denied the referendum defeat of the new Constitution had been a ”no-confidence” vote in Kibaki and the government, and said snap polls are not necessary and that rallies to demand them are a national security threat.
Opposition lawmaker Mutula Kilonzo, the Orange campaign leader, said the rallies, particularly Saturday’s noisy but peaceful demonstration, are not a threat to national security.
”We wonder which security our rally has threatened,” he said. ”Which law are they using to make this blanket ban?”
Analysts have said the nearly 60% ”no” vote was an expression of disapproval with the lacklustre performance of Kibaki’s administration, which came to power three years ago on a reform platform.
The president fired his entire Cabinet and postponed this week’s scheduled reopening of Parliament in a bid to reassert political authority after the defeat, but he has refused to dissolve the legislature and call new elections that could lead to his ouster.
Government position
Speaking on Kibaki’s behalf in announcing the demonstration ban, Awori restated the government position against new elections.
”The referendum was not a test on the performance of the government,” he said, noting that the public will be able to give its assessment of Kibaki’s administration when the next elections, set for 2007, are held.
”The government, therefore, wants to make it clear that its top priority is the implementation of the development agenda and that there is no intention whatsoever to call early elections,” Awori said.
Many analysts have thus far backed Kibaki’s response to the defeat, but have warned that attempting to ignore calls for constitutional change and focus instead only on development could further damage the president.
The Orange group includes members of Kibaki’s former Cabinet who had urged the defeat of the first major overhaul to Kenya’s charter since independence from Britain 1963 as it retained near-absolute presidential power.
It takes its name from the fruit that was ballot symbol for ”no” in the constitutional referendum. The symbol for ”yes” was a banana. — Sapa-AFP