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Kenya opposition urge election after sackings

Posted on: Thursday, 24 November 2005, 06:43 CST

By David Mageria and Katie Nguyen

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition demanded early elections on Thursday after President Mwai Kibaki dissolved his cabinet in response to a humiliating referendum defeat.

"This parliament is now discredited and the president must dissolve it to pave way for the people of Kenya to elect representatives with a new mandate," the main opposition and a dissident party from the ruling coalition said.

In a political first for Kenya, Kibaki sacked all his ministers and assistant ministers late on Wednesday, saying he wanted to reorganize and unite a cabinet which has not met for months and been too divided to pass much-needed reforms.

The move stunned many in the East African nation of 32 million where the 74-year-old president was widely viewed as a fence-sitter since he came to power in 2002.

However, the resounding rejection of his proposed constitution in Monday's poll was interpreted as a vote of no confidence in his government, leaving Kibaki no option but to clear the political decks and show he still runs the country, analysts said.

"He had to make sure that people know that he is in charge. People have said they are not satisfied with the pace of reforms because of the infighting in his cabinet," Arun Devani, head of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, told Reuters.

Kibaki's championing of the charter, which would have been Kenya's first constitution rewrite in four decades, deepened rifts in his ruling coalition. Opponents turned the vote into a referendum on his three years in power, which began with promises to fight corruption and tackle poverty.

While some admired Kibaki's show of strength in a country used to "Big Man" rule, others said it was a dangerous ploy.

"I am actually not concerned with the firing as much as the fact that there is no cabinet," sacked Sports Minister Ochillo Ayacko told Reuters. "It is a breach of the constitution, there should never be a vacuum even for a single day."

The opposition statement said urgent action was needed to establish a government with legitimacy, adding that national institutions were "grievously out of step with the people."

SPECULATION

Kenyan political and media circles were awash with speculation over whether Kibaki would recall trusted allies from his Kikuyu clan to the cabinet, continue his coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), or reach out to the opposition.

Kibaki's move got rid of rebel ministers but also targeted some of his closest allies. The Daily Nation said Kibaki had suffered from bad advice that "lowered (him) to the level of handing out largesse in an effort to curry voter favor."

The newspaper added: "The president's allies, therefore, were perhaps more deserving of the sack than his harshest critics. ... Their performance, given the quantity of egg on the president's face, has been disastrous."

Cabinet divisions had been fueled by Kibaki's failure to adhere to a pre-election deal that his National Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK) share power with the LDP run by charismatic former Roads Minister Raila Odinga, a leader of the Luo clan.

LDP ministers were vocal in the "No" campaign, opposing the president and exchanging insults with those close to him.

Odinga's party joined the opposition Kenya African National Union (KANU) in the "No" camp, winning 57 percent of the 6 million votes cast in the referendum.

Analysts said the bad blood between Kibaki cabinet allies and their LDP colleagues had slowed his development agenda.

"(Kibaki) is looking for a fresh start, which means the whole LDP brigade has to go. He needs people to deliver both economic development and a win in 2007," said political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi, referring to the next election.

Kenya has East Africa's largest economy and is viewed by the West as a linchpin of stability in turbulent east Africa.

Source: REUTERS

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