Wednesday, the 10th of October 2012 -Visiting head of the African Union Panel of Eminent Persons Kofi Annan has turned down the suggestion that he and his panel should have a meeting with candidates vying for the presidency in the March 2013 general election.
Talk of Annan and his panel meeting the presidential candidates was ignited early today by a group of MPs aligned to Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA party.
Annan, flanked by former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and other members of his panel said that he would not meet with the aspirants because such a meeting would fall outside the purpose of his visit.
The former UN secretary general also added that the purpose of his visit was to test the temperature of the national healing process since the events of the 2007 post election violence and to gauge the pace of reforms.
Annan was speaking at Parliament buildings after a meeting with speaker Kenneth Marende. Asked by journalists whether he was willing to meet with the aspirants, Annan replied;
“We did not come to see the presidential candidates,” said Annan.
Adding that “he was not sure” whether the ‘presidential candidates had been determined.”
Later on Annan released a statement on the matter;
“The panel notes that a group of Parliamentarians have addressed a Press conference in Parliament suggesting that the Panel organizes additional meetings during its visit to Kenya. The panel would like to reiterate that the purpose of its visit on this occasion is to review progress on the implementation of the constitution and the electoral preparedness.”
Annan and his panel are scheduled to leave the country tomorrow. The panel’s overall impressions on the pace of reforms in Kenya are being eagerly awaited.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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