By Nation correspondent
Posted Monday, March 14 2011 at 22:00
Posted Monday, March 14 2011 at 22:00
The fate of Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey as the Orange Democratic Movement party national chairman will be decided at a meeting set for Thursday.
Deputy national vice-chairman Ramadhan Kajembe said the meeting would consider whether or not Mr Kosgey should continue as chairman in the wake of summons by the International Criminal Court.
“Our party chairman is also named in the Ocampo Six and as we pray for him to succeed in the matter, we shall also deliberate on the need to allow him time to put up a defence,” Mr Kajembe told a public rally in Likoni at the weekend.
The ODM chairman is expected to defend himself against accusations of crimes against humanity.
He accused a section of politicians of portraying ODM as being in celebratory mood since ICC judges summoned Mr Kosgey and his co-accused to The Hague on April 7.
“We cannot celebrate over the predicament facing our chairman and others. And Prime Minister Raila Odinga should not be blamed for their naming. His is a nobody in the affairs of ICC process and I don’t know why his name is being dragged into the issue.”
The Changamwe MP said the party would revamp its political machinery in readiness for a “landslide victory” in 2012 General Election.
“As a party, we need to create a legitimate new government to serve Kenyans,” he said.
Fisheries Development Minister Amason Kingi said the decision by President Kibaki to seek a deferral of the ICC case should not be defined as official position of the government.
“The government decision can not be unilateral without ODM’s input,” he noted.
Mr Kingi said the party would declare its official position at the Thursday meeting.
“Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka is roaming the world peddling falsehood that the Kenya Government is rooting for deferral of the ICC case. Kenya has a coalition government and it is only the PNU side that is opposing the trials at The Hague.
“It is wrong for the Press to continue carrying stories that the government is opposed to the trials.
“Any group defending the Ocampo Six should not be referred to as the government,” Mr Kingi added.
ODM national organising secretary Hassan Joho said members would deliberate on the possibility of disciplining rebel members during the Thursday meeting.
He criticised Tourism minister Najib Balala over his recent declaration of ditching ODM and forming a new political party.
“Every member elected on an ODM ticket remains one unless he goes back and seeks fresh mandate from the people. We challenge him (Balala) to do so,” he said.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment