Friday, March 23, 2012

Gema petitions ICC to put off chaos cases


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Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta speaks during the Gema Cultural Association held in Limuru, March 23, 2012. The meeting resolved to petition the International Criminal Court (ICC) to postpone cases facing four Kenyans to allow "free, fair and all-inclusive elections". STEPHEN MUDIARI
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta speaks during the Gema Cultural Association held in Limuru, March 23, 2012. The meeting resolved to petition the International Criminal Court (ICC) to postpone cases facing four Kenyans to allow "free, fair and all-inclusive elections". STEPHEN MUDIARI  
By ANTHONY KARIUKI
Posted  Friday, March 23  2012 at  15:03
Central Kenya leaders have petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to postpone cases facing four Kenyans to allow "free, fair and all-inclusive elections".

The leaders, under the Gema Cultural Association, said Friday that they will collect two million signatures to push the appeal and if it becomes necessary, to take the matter to the United Nations General Assembly.
Gema also mandated Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to offer the community political leadership and to work with "other like-minded leaders and political parties from all parts of our country" with a view of "protecting the interest of our community and safeguard the future of our nation".
These were part of resolutions at the end of a convention dubbed Limuru II attended by MPs, councillors, religious leaders, businessmen and professionals from the Kikuyu, Meru and Embu communities.
"It is a stated objective of the International Criminal Court that it does not wish to interfere with our constitutional right to elect a candidate of our choice, Gema therefore petitions the ICC to reorganise its diary to ensure that Kenyans are not deprived of their constitutional right to elect leaders of their choice in free, fair and all-inclusive elections," Gema said in a statement.
"In this regard, we petition the ICC to postpone the trial in the interest of having peaceful elections, to a period after the forthcoming General Election.
"In support of this petition, Gema commits itself to collect over 2 million signatures to support this appeal before the ICC and if necessary, to take this matter before the United Nations General Assembly for adjudication," the statement said.
Gema said the presumption of innocence until one is proven guilty is enshrined in the Constitution in reference to the cases facing Mr Kenyatta, former head of the public service Francis Muthaura, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.
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In January, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 11 confirmed crimes against humanity charges against the four. Mr Kenyatta and Muthaura are facing charges of murder, rape, deportation, forcible transfer of population and persecution while Mr Ruto and Mr Sang are charged with murder, deportation, forcible transfer of population and persecution.
Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto have indicated they will contest the presidency irrespective of the cases, which seem headed to full trial after the Pre-Trial Chamber 11 rejected a request by the suspects to appeal the confirmation of charges and transmitted the ruling to the ICC Presidency to constitute a Trial Chamber.
An appeal challenging the ICC jurisdiction to hear the cases is pending in the Appeals Chamber.
Gema also announced it will identify a party that the region will rally behind as part of efforts to capture power.
"It was noted and underlined that the best way to achieve this noble goal is through one political vehicle which shall provide united leadership going into in the forthcoming General Election.
"It was affirmed that the agreed upon political vehicle shall be named with the next 30 days upon consultation with all shades of national political leadership across the country," said Gema.
The meeting also supported the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission announcement that the next General Election will be held on March 4, 2013 saying it was the "only constitutionally mandated institution" that could reach such a conclusion.
It also called for redoubling of efforts to resettle those displaced by the post election violence by end of June and urged the government to compensate the IDPs.

Gema praised President Kibaki's leadership in "steering this nation to unfathomable heights".
The leaders said the President had done well to give Kenyans a new Constitution, grow the economy, engineer infrastructural development and bring stability and peace.
They said the region stands in solidarity with the Kenya Defence Forces that is protecting the country's borders.
Limuru I was held in 2010 ahead of the August Constitution referendum and resolved that the region should vote in favour of the new law.

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