PNU drops plan to quit coalition

Saturday, 12 March 2011 00:02 BY FRANCIS MUREITHI

NOT LEAVING: Nominated MP Jimmy Angweni Jeremiah Kioni and Jamlek Kamau at a past press conference at PNU Headquaters.

THE Party of National Unity has backed down on its plan to pull out of the coalition government. The PNU called off its National Delegates Conference which was to be held yesterday to endorse a decision to pull out of the partnership with the ODM.
The PNU vice chairman George Nyamweya yesterday said the NDC has been postponed indefinitely but did not elaborate on the reasons for the postponement.
Announcing the date for the NDC, the PNU leadership said it was to be attended by 4,200 delegates comprising 20 officials and members from each of the 210 constituencies. Invitation letters had already been dispatched to branches across the country.
Those organising the NDC were Nyamweya, Jamleck Kamau (vice chairman), Maina Kamanda (organising secretary), Jimmy Angwenyi (vice-chairman) and Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni.
They had announced the NDC was to endorse the plan to pull out of the coalition arguing that it was the only option to ensure smooth running of the country.
The PNU leaders said Prime Minister Raila Odinga was destabilising the country and that’s why they wanted to bring the partnership to an end.
The PNU leaders said the NDC was the party’s highest decision-making organ and that even President Kibaki as party leader could not overrule it.
The idea to pull out of the coalition was mooted about one month ago after Raila rejected President Kibaki’s nominees for the posts of Chief Justice, Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions and Controller of Budget.
The situation was further aggravated when House Speaker Kenneth Marende rejected the list directing that the nomination process be done afresh in consultation with the PM.
The PNU lawmakers said Raila was eroding the separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislature and that Marende’s ruling was drafted by Parliament’s legal department and the PM’s office.
The PNU group was however forced to drop plans to censure Marende and overturn his ruling after President Kibaki withdrew the contentious list of nominees.
Under the National Accord and Reconciliation Act the coalition shall stand dissolved if the Tenth Parliament is dissolved, or if the coalition parties agree in writing “or if one coalition partner withdraws from the coalition by a resolution of the highest decision-making organ of that party in writing.”
It is however silent on whether a snap election should follow a withdrawal of one partner from the coalition. Kibaki allies maintain the President would be at liberty to form a new government of national unity without the position of Prime Minister.
The National Accord Act however states that “this Act shall cease to apply upon dissolution of the Tenth Parliament, if the coalition is dissolved, or a new constitution is enacted, whichever is earlier.”
Another clause dealing with the transitional provisions of the new constitution implies there will be fresh elections “if the coalition established under the National Accord is dissolved and general elections are held before 2012”.