Official Opposition Must be Addressed by the Koffi Annani Team

Multiparty Democracy might be in jeopardy as the nation focuses for a permanent solution to the election violence through the Koffi Annani led team. This aspect has been left in abeyance and should Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement and Kibaki’s Party of National Unity agree to share powers in a grand coalition. If Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, of ODM Kenya is also maintained in the power sharing arrangement, then we shall say bye to the official opposition in Parliament. What has put many Kenyans in a quandary is: even if we are desperately in need of a permanent remedy on the post election violence, the Koffi Annani team should play a tangential role to address the issue of leader of official opposition in Parliament instead of being silent about it. In PNU and ODM, each side is riding a high horse for the best deal out of the Annani led team, but nobody has come out openly to address how multipartism will suffice in Kenya in the event of a power sharing arrangement between the two parties. As prospects linger to get our Country out of the political impasse, we need a strong opposition in Parliament to hold the executive and the cabinet to account on the aspects of accountability and transparency. We wonder what will happen to the political parties’ bill and even the many registered political parties in the Country. I am sure each party even the non parliamentary ones will struggle to pledge their allegiance to the ruling elite; a big blow to multiparty politics in Kenya . I personally don’t have any legal knowledge to provide an alternative on this aspect but those with legal and constitutional expertise should not shy away from addressing this vital matter that has shaped the growth of democracy in our motherland since December 1991 when multiparty politics was reintroduced in the Country after the repeal of section (2A) of Kenya ’s constitution. Many Kenyans expects legislatures like honourable James Orengo, a panellist for ODM party in the Koffi Annani led team not to focus only in the power sharing arrangement without due consideration on multiparty sustainability; an aspect he fought for and almost lost his own life. We also expect honourable Gitobu Imanyara and Anyang ’ Nyong’o to mention but of a few of the multiparty advocates of the late 1980s and early 1990s not to assume this very important aspect. Kenyans are watching if our leaders are only fixated on power instead of building structures that will sustain our democracy in this 21st Century for posterity. Indeed, who will hold the government accountable without the official opposition in the multiparty era? There is no guarantee of multiparty sustainability if the power sharing arrangement is effected without a framework on the creation of a government watchdog in Parliament. The future of multiparty politics lies solely on honourables Martha Karua, Moses Wetangula, Mutula Kilonzo, Professor Sammy Ongeri of PNU and James Orengo, Dr. Sally Kosgey, William Ruto and Musalia Mudavadi of ODM. We shall applause these brothers and sisters for a lasting remedy to the current quagmire in our nation, but we shall however hold them accountable if they let this Country degenerate to a single political system just under the aegis of power sharing in a grand coalition.