CRISE NO QUENIA DEBATIDA HOJE NA ABERTURA DO PARLAMENTO BRITANICO

Um debate sobre a situcao prevalecente no Quenia, que pode ser caracterizado como 'quente', teve lugar hoje, Segunda feira, 07 de Janeiro 2008, no parlamento britanico. O debate iniciou com um 'statement' do Ministro dos Negocios Estrangeiros e da Commonwealth David Milliband. Milliband mostrou dominar com detalhes os contornos da crise Queniana, tendo continuado a apoiar o envolvimento da Uniao Africana, atraves do seu presidente, John Kaffour. Esta postura tem sido criticada por varios observadores, uma vez que e vista como estando a atrazar o envolvimento e defesa dos ineresses da Gra-Bretanha na regiao. De facto, a peca chave da estrategia britanica, John Kaffour, encontra-se ainda no seu pais, enquanto que a diplomacia americana encontra-se ja no terreno e a mostrar servico! Condoleza Rice despachou sem demoras e nem cerimonias a diplomata senior do Departamento de Estado, Jendayi Frazier, que ja manteve encontros tanto com o Presdente Kibaki como com o lider da opoiscao Rala Odinga, tendo em principio conseguido que as duas pates aceitassem o inicio das negociacoes sem pre-condicoes!

Milliband defende a necessidade da constituicao de uma politica de acomodacao consubstanciada num possivel governo de unidade nacional. Para nao deixar seus interesses em maos alheias, Tony Benn, o Ministro para aCooperacao internacional oferecu a a Cruz Vermelha Queniana, cerca de um milhao de libras para diminuir o impacto da crise humanitaria no Quenia.

No debate de hoje participaram varios deputados da 'House of Common's', a camara baixa do parlamento britanico, sendo a destacar as intervencoes de William Hague, Ministro Sombra para os Negocios Estrangeiros e Assuntos da Commonwealth, que entre outras quis obter garantias sobre a firmeza das posicoes britanicas, para alem de ter indicado que seria imprudente neste momento falar-se de sancoes ao Quenia, que considerou ser um pais ' amigo'.

Entretanto encontram-se na capital Queniana, varias personalidades africanas, sendo a destacar a presenca do ex-arcebispo Desmond Tutu, e o antigo presidente da Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda.

Da maioria dos governos africanos e da socidade civil africana reina um silencio assustador!

Para mais detalhes viajemos a Nairobi na companhia do correspondente do ChangeZim

Diplomats Scrambled To Avoid Kenya Explosion

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has sent assistant secretary Jendayi Frazer to Kenya; Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s envoy, Ghanian President John Kufour has been snubbed; Archbishop Desmond Tutu has had an audience with both sides, and a delegation of former African leaders, led by Zambian founding president Kenneth Kaunda, is also expected to travel to Kenya to help find a solution following a rigged election.

Top US diplomat, Jendayi Frazer in Kenya to broker solution.

As Kenya’s neighbors start feeling the pinch of refugees pouring into their borders and business grinds to a halt because of Kenya’s key position as a regional transport hub, diplomacy has been stepped up to avoid an escalation of the fall-out from the rigged election.
The Kenyan opposition which was robbed in the election is rejecting calls a government of national unity - insisting that the election must either be re-run or a transitional government put in place, since President Mwai Kibaki, the declared winner, has no mandate to rule.

UK Foreign Secretary David Milliband

Frazer, is the top US diplomat for Africa, and is expected to meet the President, opposition leaders and Kenyan civil society to try and to find a way out of the crisis created when irregularities were discovered and admitted to by election officials.

While Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s initiative to involve the African Union chairman, President John Kufuor of Ghana, seems to have been snubbed by President Kibaki, Archbishop Desmond Tutu did meet both sides and said the President was ready to discuss with the opposition after the violence has stopped.
Snubbed

The proposal is a difficult one for opposition leader Raila Odinga who would rather hear what the government is going to do about the stolen election first before he calls for peace. His supporters, whose slogan is “No Odinga No Peace” would probably ignore his call anyway if he did not tell them what the government was going to do about the stolen election.

His Orange Democratic Movement wants to carry on with protests which have so far been blocked by a heavy police presence, despite the opposition having given the legal notice to hold the demonstrations to protest against the irregularities in the election. The government says this is blackmail.

Frazer is expected to urge Kibaki and Odinga to begin a dialogue, but a government spokesman is reported to have told CNN yesterday that the international community should not come to “interfere.” This and the cancellation of the Kufuor mediation mission that was backed by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, suggests that the government is now realising how untenable its position is and wanting to resort to strong-arm tactics.

An EU election observer and the Kenyan attorney general have called for an independent investigation into the election, which could pave the way for a recount, but this was rejected by Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement. saying ballot papers have already been lost, doctored or falsified.

They want another election within three months, and a caretaker government to organize the election, which proposal the government says it would only accept it was ordered by the courts.

There have been mixed stories about why President Kufuor did not go to Kenya; some saying he stayed to deal with a situation in Ghana, his own office saying Kenya thought it was an internal matter, and others saying protocol issues were ignored regarding the visit.

Gordon Brown’s coalition government idea was rejected, with an Orange spokesperson, saying: “We’ve been there before. There’s no way of going back,” referring to the marginal ministerial post he was given in 2003 after being promised the job of prime minister in return for supporting Mr Kibaki.

But David Milliband, the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary this morning did not rule power-sharing, nor did he rule out the idea of Mr Kufuor mediating. In fact he made a public call for Kenya to facilitate his visit.
Milliband said the UK was continuing with diplomatic efforts aimed at ending to the violence, ensuring “that the concerns about irregularities in vote-counting are given full vent through peaceful political and legal means,” and generating a political process capable of bringing the polarised country together.
The concerns about the election were well-documented irregularities, posing serious questions about the conduct of the count and standing in the way of the formation of a stable Kenyan government.

“The message to Kenya's political leaders is therefore clear: the basis for the country to move forward is political compromise which recognises the divided nature of the electoral vote and establishes a basis for politicians of different parties to work together in a way that reflects the will of the Kenyan people.
“The sharing of political power is the way to build bridges across serious divides.” The UK would involve its allies including the US, Europe, the Commonwealth and the African Union to establish a strong and credible mediation process, he said.

“The leadership of President Kufuor of Ghana, the current President of the AU, is therefore critical in our view. We believe all of Kenya's political leaders should welcome his offer to play a key role in resolving this crisis, and call on them to facilitate his journey to the country as soon as possible.”
Milliband's public call for Kenya to allow mediation and his statement that the irregularities were well-documented suggest gloves coming off. President Kibaki will have to give in or use repressive methods.