Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga team’s 5-point plan for talks with Uhuru, Ruto

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Opposition has kept up the onslaught against the Government by unveiling a five-point agenda for talks with the ruling coalition.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) set conditions for talks with Government to address security, corruption, national unity and constitutional inclusivity in public appointments, devolution and restructuring of the provincial administration.

But it is the demand for reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) that emerged as a sticky issue after Jubilee ruled out any discussion on the electoral body following a parliamentary group meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House Nairobi yesterday.

During a briefing at Orange House yesterday, CORD leaders outlined a five-point agenda for national dialogue and said they would accept only structured dialogue, two days after President Kenyatta agreed to talk with the Opposition leaders.

Structured talks

CORD dismissed as “misguided speculations” the suggestion that they were seeking power-sharing negotiations with the Government, saying they only wanted the dialogue to “salvage the country”.

“We are calling for national dialogue, not a grand coalition government,” CORD leader Raila Odinga said in an apparent response to Uhuru, who had ruled out any power-sharing negotiations.

“We cannot wait and watch you loot to pay non-existent debts; we cannot wait and watch IEBC continue with the mess they made before with impunity,” Raila said.Also on their agenda is the credibility of elections. The CORD leaders maintained they could not wait for five years when they “take over the Government”, insisting that Kenyans were dying in their thousands due to heightened insecurity, and the cost of living had skyrocketed.

The CORD brigade called on Uhuru to provide a team to start engaging with them but insisted that they must first work out the terms of reference.

Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, a CORD co-principle, maintained the coalition would not accept a situation where the country “is taken for a ride”, pointing out that there must be good faith.

“What we will insist on is structured dialogue. We are ready when they are ready. We would have to work out the terms of reference and that is not going to be a one-day affair,” Kalonzo said.

The conditions are likely to be the next battlefront between the Opposition and the Government given that Deputy President William Ruto had ruled out any talks with CORD.

Raila said the talks would not be presided over by the President, insisting that the structure and agenda of the dialogue must be clear from the beginning.

“He (Uhuru) is not presiding over any dialogue. That’s why we propose that they name a team to engage with our team to prepare the agenda and structure of the dialogue,” he said.But even as they drew up their agenda, the coalition announced that they would push on with their countrywide rallies that they have dubbed ‘consultation meetings with Kenyans’.

Another major rally akin to the one held at Uhuru Park over the weekend is planned for June 15 at Tononoka Grounds in Mombasa – another perceived CORD stronghold.

After the Mombasa meeting, the leaders are headed for Garissa, Kitale, Bungoma and then Kisumu before going to Machakos and Kitui.

The coalition also scaled up its onslaught against the Government, calling for a refund of the Sh1.4 billion wired to Anglo Leasing firms.

“Corruption is everywhere. The era and culture of primitive acquisition are back in a big way,” said the former Prime Minister. “This is adversely affecting investment, demoralising the business community, sinking our economy into irredeemable debt and impoverishing our people.”

Shut west out

Raila also called for the prosecution of civil servants and their business associates who aided the scam.

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula faulted the Government’s foreign policy, saying the new administration had completely shut the doors on the West who are Kenya’s traditional allies.“Nobody should be cheated that there is any relationship between the paying of this Anglo Leasing money and our credit rating with regard to the euro bond,” Raila said.

Mr Wetang’ula said the country’s foreign policy since independence has always been non-alignment. “The Government is engaging the East and borrowing very expensive money. They are forgetting when we engage the EU, for example, they only give grants,” he added.

About 15 lawmakers mostly allied to ODM attended the Press briefing. Among them was Siaya Senator James Orengo, Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, nominated senators Elizabeth Ongoro and Oburu Oginga, and former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga.