Odinga said CORD would be represented by Senator James Orengo and MP Simiyu Eseli while the Jubilee coalition talks would be led by Senator Kiraitu Murungi/KEVN GITAU
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 9 – CORD leader Raila Odinga says no agreement had been reached by Thursday evening between Jubilee and the Opposition regarding proposed dialogue on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission deadlock.
The former Prime Minister explained that a team of four legislators had been formed to iron out outstanding issues “in the next 24 hours” before dialogue could kick off.
“There are a few outstanding issues on how this committee (the Joint Select Committee of both Houses of Parliament) is going to work going forward. They need to be discussed, negotiated and agreed upon,” he told journalists during at a press briefing at his Capitol Hill office.
“We will be able to announce tomorrow that the white smoke has appeared and the negotiations can start.”
The team, with two members from each side of the collation has 24 hours to discuss the terms of reference, how the committee will work and the issues that will be discussed among other matters.
Odinga said CORD would be represented by Senator James Orengo and MP Eseli Simiyu, while the Jubilee coalition talks would be led by Senator Kiraitu Murungi.
On the anti-IEBC protests, Odinga said they were still on until an agreement was reached.
“As things stand now, they remain the same and there is no agreement that is reached until an agreement is reached,” the Opposition leader asserted.
He however welcomed the formation of the Joint Select Committee of both Houses of Parliament by President Uhuru Kenyatta but said it cannot proceed with its operations, without “the outstanding issues being ironed out.”
In an address to Kenyans from State House on Wednesday, President Kenyatta said he had held consultations with religious leaders drawn from most faiths in the country earlier on Wednesday.
“The mandate of the committee will be strictly and exclusively the matter of IEBC,” President Kenyatta said at a briefing after the meeting that was attended by Speakers Justin Muturi of the National Assembly and Ekwee Ethuro of the Senate.
He said all stakeholders, public and private should be accorded an opportunity to make submissions to the joint select committee “as provided in the Standing Orders of both Houses of Parliament, and in the constitutional spirit of public participation.”
He emphasised the need to forge ahead within the confines of the Constitution.
“Any attempts to exercise it outside the provisions of the constitution not only undermines both the spirit and letter of the constitution, but is also a recipe for confusion and anarchy,” President Kenyatta affirmed.
The President made it clear that everyone to respect, uphold and defend the Constitution “as an obligation and not an option.”
On Thursday morning, CORD insisted on round table discussions with the government to break the IEBC impasse as opposed to the parliamentary process fronted by President Kenyatta.
This was just part of the coalition’s demands during a meeting with religious leaders and ambassadors this morning over the issue on which they remained tight lipped.
CORD later sent their demands to State House and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka pointed out that they will wait for a response before issuing a comprehensive statement on the matter.
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