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Post by phil on Mar 12, 2012 17:18:18 GMT 3
THE RAILA ODINGA SECRETARIAT
Monday, March 12, 2012
Press Release on the Coming General Election 1. The next General Election in Kenya will be a referendum on the rule of law – the chance to choose between the rule of law and impunity, between reform and reversal of the gains of the past two decades, between anarchy and order. 2. Kenyans participated in a democratic election on 27 December 2007. The election was subsequently compromised. 3. Some forces with a selfish agenda of their own, which included settling scores that had nothing to do with the elections, took advantage of the ensuing protest against this disenfranchisement of the Kenyan electorate. This was a repeat of similar events in 1991-92 and in 1997. In 2008, more than 1,300 Kenyans were killed, hundreds of thousands were forcefully renditioned and thousands suffered all manner of indignity, classified in the international system as crimes against humanity. 4. The victims were Kenyan citizens. They were not occupying forces from some foreign country, whose killing and eviction might have been cause for heroism and celebration. The matter was then supposed to pass quietly away, as in 1992 and 1997, and to wait for another election and another wave of crimes against innocent citizens. 5. The Grand Coalition Government was established to restore the country to normalcy and shepherd institutional reforms. Everyone said, “Never again.” But not everyone has been co-operative. The beneficiaries of the 2008 injustice have shown they will stop at nothing to frustrate reform and justice. 6. It is this spirit of impunity that frustrated efforts to establish a local tribunal to deal with post-election violence. Parliament was mobilised to defeat the Constitutional amendment that sought to do this, with the main perpetrators cunningly creating the false impression that they sought real justice, and could only achieve it through the ICC. The reality is that they did not wish the matter to be addressed at all – locally or otherwise. 7. The same people shouting then, “Don’t be vague, let us go to The Hague,” are the ones now demonising the ICC. They seek to kill two birds with one stone – dragging the Prime Minister and other innocent parties into their self-inflicted woes, and at the same time making political capital out of the ICC matter. 8. The ICC has unfortunately now become an election issue. But since it IS an election issue, let it now be known that the coming elections will also be a referendum on impunity. The time has come when every one of us must stand up to be counted. Either you are for the rule of law, or you are for impunity. It can’t be both. A choice must be made. 9. The cases before the ICC did not arise out of thin air. They are the outcome of circumstances where Kenyans were killed, forcefully evicted and otherwise dehumanised. They are also the outcome of a systematic and lawful investigation, which the Republic of Kenya is lawfully party to. At the end of that investigation and subsequent court hearings, charges have been raised against those the ICC considers should be called upon to answer for the lowest moment in Kenya’s national history. 10. A lawful process having thus been followed, the Kenyan citizens before the ICC should respect the rule of law. They should seek to defend themselves in the impending trial. If they are innocent, as they have frequently professed at charged public rallies, the court will no doubt acquit them. No public petulance on their part can substitute for the court process. Nor can forged documents and the besmirching of innocent persons’ reputations assist them. 11. It is clear that the present posturing against the ICC, complete with the weaving in of the PM’s name and that of the British Government, is a dress rehearsal for non-cooperation with the ICC. It is clear that the foundation is being laid for the accused to refuse to attend trials of the cases against them. 12. In the past, election-time atrocities have gone unaddressed. People are therefore angry that, this time, things are different. They cannot understand why it should not be business as usual. To try to change that, they are feverishly mobilising people to stand on the side of impunity. They have put impunity on the election agenda. It appears they would like to see Kenya burn again. 13. It is up to each Kenyan, therefore, to search his or her soul and decide where they stand. The choice is between the law and impunity. 14. Finally, the lie is being sold that the Prime Minister is a beneficiary of post-election violence. In fact he was the greatest loser. In the interests of peace, he accepted being denied his rightful position as the elected President of Kenya. 15. The real beneficiaries of post-election violence are only too evident. They include those currently in the process of returning property acquired in areas where post-election violence victims were known to have been dispossessed of their land. Now these beneficiaries are rushing to return the land, in order to evade court processes. What greater admission of guilt could there be? Signed
The Raila Odinga Secretariat 12 march 2012
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Post by mintos on Mar 12, 2012 17:27:09 GMT 3
This be from the PM himself or the Secretariat?
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Post by phil on Mar 12, 2012 17:29:36 GMT 3
This be from the PM himself or the Secretariat? This has been forwarded about 30 minutes ago by OPM to newsrooms, on behalf of the RO Secretariat. I am sure you all too aware none of them will publish in full and when they do, they will try to change the message.
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Post by phil on Mar 12, 2012 17:43:39 GMT 3
Folks this is like music to my ears! I do not know where these guys have been but if the last two press releases by the Raila Odinga Secretariat are anything to go by, then we are in for some real-politik in the next few months. Usione simba amenyeshewa ukadhani ni paka!Bullet point number 15 will make William Ruto want to hide away for a while. What is more self incriminating in the eyes of the ICC and Kenyans at large that William Ruto (yes that one!) is a direct beneficiary of 2008 PEV, caught disenfranchising a PEV victim of his land, and now shamelessly trying to reach an out of court settlement after being caught in the act? www.the-star.co.ke/national/national/61693-ruto-and-pev-victim-want-to-settle-out-of-courtwww.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000051728&cid=159&
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Post by kogelowest on Mar 12, 2012 17:53:47 GMT 3
Spot on!we need to separate grains from chaf.kudos!
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emali
Full Member
Posts: 219
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Post by emali on Mar 12, 2012 18:08:18 GMT 3
Looks like the OPM has a new Miguna...strong stuff...
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Post by deyiengs on Mar 12, 2012 18:19:06 GMT 3
That is what I was saying yesterday when I called for the PM to go full throttle in this matter.
How I love how he heeded to my call.
Leo ni leo
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Post by topnotch on Mar 12, 2012 18:34:53 GMT 3
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Post by mzee on Mar 12, 2012 18:41:33 GMT 3
No need of babysitting the Hague chaps. RAO, you have lost what you could have lost. The only way for you is up. Hit this Hague bound thugs hard.
Im loving it.
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Post by deyiengs on Mar 12, 2012 18:42:04 GMT 3
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 12, 2012 19:15:50 GMT 3
Good. Kenyans are tired of being suffocated by people who should be going around asking for forgiveness and preaching the message of one Kenya for all Kenyans. Instead they are manufacturing lies left, right and centre to malign others, threaten people, intimidate their rivals and even malign foreign countries which have no interest in the matter in their diabolical game. And they demand to get away with such lies or else. Even when these lies are exposed as based on outright forgeries which should be treated as criminal offenses in their own rights the ICC mob still don't get it. They come out blazing as if they are the victims. The whole country has to bow down to them and swallow their lies without question or else. For how long can the nation put up with that madness. Kenyans were killed in their thousands in the PEV. There is no question about that. Kenyan women and girls in the tens of thousands were violently raped and many damaged forever. There is no question about that. More than 650,00 Kenyans were forcefully removed from their land and property. There is no question about that. The whole country came to a standstill with fear and trepidation. There is no question about that. Attempts were made severally by the PM and others to have these issues addressed in a local process. There is no question about that either. The same ICC mob now lying like there is no tomorrow did everything in their powers to scuttle the local process and they got their wish. They know it, we know it and the media knows it. So why must we entertain these endless lies of Raila is sending so and so to The Hague so he can be president. Now we have Kenyans including two key political leaders indicted by the ICC to face the charges as those most responsible for those crimes and all of a sudden they are the ones who have been offended, who have been wronged and who must be prayed for and anybody who is not willing to be one of their toys must be condemned with a mountain of lies and forgeries. And they think the country should just stand by and cheer them along as our new found found messiahs! That has gone on for too long and it is time those facing charges stopped lying through their teeth and making up stories and forgeries to make a mockery of the country. Do we need reconciliation instead of a full blown confrontation? Yes we do, but it must start with being honest and truthful about the situation we are in. People like myself have preached the need for reconciliation for ages but we have been laughed out of town starting from the suspects who think everybody else is a fool and they can just laugh around, mint lies, villify Raila and bingo they are the new political heroes in town. Our media has for the most part encouraged that mentality with occassional lip service to the IDPs and the victims. The story has been about who can mint a political alliance for 2012 regardless of whether that may be an allaince of people with very huge questions to answer. When the same suspects go around the country preaching outright tribal hatred using hate language that makes the PEV look like a field practice, the media has helped shield such outrage. Can that really be a path to reconciliation. Certainly NOT. So what options does the country have? Bend backwards to accomodate the alliance of liars, forgers and all sorts of characters who don't give a damn about the tragedy of the 2007/8 PEV? Is that the only option? I don't think so. If the suspects want a genuine discussion and dialogue about reconciliation and cooling the temperatures let's have that debate. If they want a head on confrontation, fair enough. If the mainstream media wants a discourse about reconciliation let them promote that route. If instead the media wants to fuel the fires of confrontation and promote their partisan interests by ignoring their job as neutral parties looking for what is best for the country that is a choice they have a right to make. We will respond accordingly. Here is the Capital FM version of the statement. www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2012/03/raila-ruto-uhuru-setting-stage-to-disprove-icc/
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 12, 2012 20:09:45 GMT 3
These criminal forgeries by the Ocampo chaps could be very costly. You just don't do this kind of thing and think it is part and parcel of your hate politics. There are limits to that line of criminal activity. You stop with local forgeries like they did with Nyongo'. Sooner than later the Kenyan government will have to make a public statement about these forgeries and take steps to invesitigate and punish the criminals behind them, specifically the one used to tarnish the UK government and smear them with the ICC mud. You can scream those lies in "prayer" hate fests, but the moment you bring them into the National Assembly you are playing with fire. The ICC boys are going to need carpet cover from Kibaki to avoid a major backlash. This thing has backfired mightily. They went back to the well way too often I would say. Here is what I am talking about. www.kbc.co.ke/news.asp?nid=75346
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Post by Mobimba on Mar 12, 2012 21:07:28 GMT 3
Bold move. The real Raila finally awakes. It's on now.
Looks like the beginning of another tsunami. It begins by clearly defining THEM (impunity) versus US (rule of law). In my view, that's the important message from this statement. The Raila Secretariat has originated it and now must relentlessly define it… until there's no doubt where the fault line falls.
Uhuru and Ruto spent millions putting their ICC trials at risk by holding rallies… praying to have the elections be a referendum on the ICC. They failed. The vast majority of Kenyans continue to embrace the Hague.
When it rains it pours, I tell you. Lately, their road to the ICC trials is cleared and carpeted. Their desperate attempt at non-cooperation is a dud and has now been labeled 'impunity'. Yikes!
If the Raila Secretariat have it there way, expect to see defections to the Rule of Law Axis. Even Mudavadi will find it uncomfortable to bolt out.
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Post by b6k on Mar 12, 2012 21:09:17 GMT 3
2 statements in 48 hours? Is this a case of Dennis Onyango not wanting to be outshone by Salim Lone or a hint of something more sinister?
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 12, 2012 21:16:45 GMT 3
2 statements in 48 hours? Is this a case of Dennis Onyango not wanting to be outshone by Salim Lone or a hint of something more sinister? The point is the content. It is pretty solid. There are those who thought and predicted the PM will back off and be offering apologies to the lying suspects. That did not happen. Even when the DN put their own forgery on the first story for purposes of agitation the PM has done the right thing. Instead of going to the DN begging for apology, he has accepted the battle, lies, forgeries and all. My son quoted someone for me in soccer who said, "if you don't want to be kicked, stick to ballerina" That is what it is.
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Post by kamalet on Mar 12, 2012 21:19:50 GMT 3
Either Raila continues with his streak of being an idiot or someone is really advising him badly.
This idea that he can make political capital out of the travails of the O-4 is as misinformed as it is stupid. The O-4 are riding a wave of sympathy from Kenyans and in particuar the communities of the most affected. When he appears to campaign for them to be in jail as Raila is now doing, it only confirms the accusations that have been leveled against him that he was behind the troubles of the two to give him an easy ticket to state house. Whether these claims are true or not, the problem is that coming from him it will mean that the O-4 can now claim justification of their oft repeated claims.
But these flurry of silly statements from the PM are actually not inteded to address his considered view about justice for the victims. Actually I consider this as an attempt at diverting attention to the onslaught by Mudavadi who appears to be headed to splitting the party. But even that is silly as it will be used to remind Mudavadi about going out of your way to help Raila in his presidency campaign a man who can not be trusted after how he abandoned Ruto.
Raila is currently in a hole and all that he is currently doing is dig it deeper. The cheerleaders will claim he has balls coming out this strongly and it is the right thing to do. Raila should wait until the matter of the case sufficiently clear that the two are in the Hague coolers awaiting their fate. It is simply too early to take the route he has taken.
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Post by Mobimba on Mar 12, 2012 21:23:17 GMT 3
B6K,
Two statements within 48 hours simply means 'gloves off'. The first was in response to the G7's forged UK letter. The second was in response to the Uhuru/ Ruto response of the first statement i.e. to the effect that Raila was sowing discord and disunity (forgetting hate rallies) and was the mastermind of the ICC (forgetting don’t be vague…) and beneficiary of the violence (forgetting stolen IDP land).
Roundi hii, Raila ame jam.
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Post by Mobimba on Mar 12, 2012 21:54:32 GMT 3
Kamale,
Raila has finally realized that the votes he's already lost due to ICC propaganda are gone forever. He will never win those votes back esp. by keeping his tail between his legs every time he is ambushed by the G7. The forged UK letter seems to be the straw that broke the camels back. I suppose your political advise would see him just sit, listen and look as his name is consistently tarnished in falsehoods... as has been the case in the past fours years. Don’t you think he's been sufficiently modest?
The two statements are his attempt at appealing to those who actually read and understand things in real time. Suffice that to mean that only the less sophisticated voters actually believe what Uhuru and Ruto have to say (and their minds are made up). There is absolutely no one in Kenya, with a rational mind, who will find the 15 points outlandish and unreasonably false.
Now, the flow of overwhelming sympathy that you speak of is bought and ferried to wherever the next revival meeting is. Expect this flow of sympathy to dissipate as monies are re-directed to fund ICC trials proper… now that they are a reality.
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Post by b6k on Mar 12, 2012 21:57:48 GMT 3
B6K, Two statements within 48 hours simply means 'gloves off'. The first was in response to the G7's forged UK letter. The second was in response to the Uhuru/ Ruto response of the first statement i.e. to the effect that Raila was sowing discord and disunity (forgetting hate rallies) and was the mastermind of the ICC (forgetting don’t be vague…) and beneficiary of the violence (forgetting stolen IDP land). Roundi hii, Raila ame jam. Lincoln, Raila has been under siege of late by Mudavadi as Kamale alludes to above. He had to ward off that internal challenge to his leadership. Isitoshe, the G7 lads have been upping the ante against him. Most people can take ad hominem attacks for only so long before they lash out in response. To put the icing on the cake, Kibaki still showed him disrespect by not consulting him on the cop appointments a few days after sending mixed signals on the date for the GE. All that may have pushed him over the edge to start working towards scuttling the GCG. Go on bwana PM....tear down this government!
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Post by phil on Mar 12, 2012 22:28:15 GMT 3
Give us a freekin break Kamale. Trust b6k to blindly agree with you. Firstly, all (and I mean all) opinion polls have shown Kenyans prefer and support the ICC process more than a local tribunal. Thus, your assertion that O-4 are riding on a wave of public sympathy is an invention in your small part of the world. Secondly, it is the accused themselves who have turned this into a political issue. Soon after Ocampo named his suspects, and during the entire pre-trial hearings, both Ruto and Uhuru did not make a secret about whom they wanted charged at the Hague. Uhuru did not have a shred of evidence but still asserted Raila was responsible for the PEV. After confirmation of the charges, the prayer rallies have all been about attacking the prime minister rather than prayers. Even Charles Kilonzo's forged UK letter was all about politicizing the process and targeting the prime minister. You should be the last person whom the prime minister should turn to for political advise. Let's face it. If Raila was truly in a hole as you allege, you wouldn't be exactly concerned or worried about it, would you? The issue here is that he is telling you and your folks the truth and this is a very bitter truth.
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 12, 2012 22:29:52 GMT 3
Either Raila continues with his streak of being an idiot or someone is really advising him badly. This idea that he can make political capital out of the travails of the O-4 is as misinformed as it is stupid. The O-4 are riding a wave of sympathy from Kenyans and in particuar the communities of the most affected. When he appears to campaign for them to be in jail as Raila is now doing, it only confirms the accusations that have been leveled against him that he was behind the troubles of the two to give him an easy ticket to state house. Whether these claims are true or not, the problem is that coming from him it will mean that the O-4 can now claim justification of their oft repeated claims. But these flurry of silly statements from the PM are actually not inteded to address his considered view about justice for the victims. Actually I consider this as an attempt at diverting attention to the onslaught by Mudavadi who appears to be headed to splitting the party. But even that is silly as it will be used to remind Mudavadi about going out of your way to help Raila in his presidency campaign a man who can not be trusted after how he abandoned Ruto. Raila is currently in a hole and all that he is currently doing is dig it deeper. The cheerleaders will claim he has balls coming out this strongly and it is the right thing to do. Raila should wait until the matter of the case sufficiently clear that the two are in the Hague coolers awaiting their fate. It is simply too early to take the route he has taken. Kamale,The Ocampo boys are having nightmares forging documents and it seems you are trying to make your own forgeries right in front of our eyes. You are forging obvious facts. Not so fast. It is interesting that people like you are now coming out of the woodworks to try to repeat the pathetic lies that Raila "confirms the accusations leveled against him that Raila was behind the troubles against the two to give him easy access to state house"You know that is a naked lie and that is why you try to recycle the same heap while trying to be clever by half giving a disclaimer about "whether true or false". Unless you have been in a cave you know Raila has nothing to do with the fact that Uhuru and Ruto today face charges of mass murder and rape in Kenya. It is also a lie that Raila is trying to ride on the misfortune of those facing crimes against humanity in our country at The Hague. The matter at hand is rather simple and pretty deadly for the ICC chaps. Last week a bunch of conmen went to parliament with outright forgeries claiming they were documentary proof that the UK government was working behind the scenes to get Uhuru and Ruto locked up when they appear at the Hague next time which is most likely soon. The same fraudsters claimed the plan was engineered to ensure that one Raila Amolo Odinga becomes the next president. Do you see how that whole fake plot is consistent with your own false accusations here in Jukwaa? The plotters went ahead to claim that part of the plot was to get Kibaki himself locked up as soon as he leaves office. As we speak the documents used for this grand con job have been proved as forgeries. The NSIS has declared them as such and so has sections of the media which has talked about the spelling errors, the terrible grammar, misspelled names and all sorts or blunders. Obviously this was a clever but terribly executed plan whose purpose was to further demonize Raila as the grand schemer behind the misery of the suspects, rope in Kibaki as part of the target and lay the foundation for the war with the ICC. Now in your grand wisdom Mr. Kamale, you are telling us Raila should have just taken these lies and forgeries lying down and let the crooks have a field day with all the falsehood and he (Raila) would be doing very great. Really? You think people are fools, don't you? Well surprise, surprise. Those scumbags who came up with these forgeries now are having the tables turned against them. They are in a pickle. They are not getting away with murder like they did before, even literally. If that makes the Kamales mad with Raila, that is their problem. The real nightmare for the ICC chaps here is that this is a story which has very deadly implications for them. They cannot defend the fact that the documents they were trying to use in parliament were forgeries. Expect them to try pulling that load of crap out of parliament. Secondly the UK government which has been accused of collusion verging on criminal interference with another country are rightly furious. They are going to demand answers and investigations. The UK has just been accused of plotting to get the president of a friendly country locked up for partisan political purposes. The ICC chaps that can be just part of their village politics of hate but these are things with serious international implications. No country can accept such accusations as just part of regular politics. Village noise making politics of lies and more lies has limits. These chaps blew it up. If the ICC forgery experts have to back off with their forged documents, how do they manage that without accepting the fact that they have been lying and faking things to implicate Raila and others in their misery. Also what has happened here are criminal in nature. Forging papers to implicate people and countries in this kind of scheme are dangerous criminal activities. Who will take responsibilities for these criminal activities? Ruto or Uhuru or both? Don't tell me they are going to claim Raila made them do it or that Raila did the forgery and they are just victims. These kind so of games have limits and the boys just don't know where to stop. Now they have a mess to deal with. It is not Raila. Neither is it his fault.
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Post by gemagema on Mar 12, 2012 22:44:06 GMT 3
This now feels like a Republican versus Democratic campaign in the US. Say whatever you can say to dismantle your opponent and their base, and at the same time try to maintain your own supporters.
There are some hardcore supporters that will never change, even if their party or leader really partake some inhumane stuff. This is the case of Uhuru and Ruto and their supporters. They will believe everything and anything they say, even when they know its obvious lies. Their claims that Raila is the reason they are at ICC is all lies, and all Kenyans know that. Even kamalet, mwalimumkuu and b6k definitely did hear the "Dont be vague, let us go to Hague" anthem.
On the other hand, Raila has supporters who would never leave him, whatever the case. hence the excitement amidst the ODM base about the hard and well thought rejoinder from the Raila Odinga secretariat.
Anyways, this 2012 elections will not be about winning the hardcore supporters of your opponents, those are already taken. But it is about convincing the neutral, bench sitting kenyans, who are neither raila's, Uhuru's or Ruto's. And I still wonder if some victims of PEV can reconcile themselves into supporting 'the one' that either denied you of your land' or 'the one that killed raped and maimed your friends and family and neighbours'.
That said, this election has not really taken shape yet, until we know who exactly Raila's opponent will be. Until then...the grounds are only warming up now. G7 have yet to come up with their candidate. After all, if both Uhuru and Ruto vie seperately (and that is what i expect, if they will not be dining at ICC) the 'ICC Sympathiser' supporter base will be scattered and divided to the benefit of Raila. Then, this time around, he will be a real beneficiary
So, yes, Raila must continue with the verbal fight he has now started against Uhuru, Ruto and G7. There is nothing to loose
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Post by Mobimba on Mar 12, 2012 22:52:57 GMT 3
B6K,
Not quite sure where you are going with this. It's been my observation that Raila would like to see the GCG dead as soon as possible. And the cop appointments are going nowhere… more egg on the face of the Kibaki (how's this fun to you?).
Lastly, the election date confusion from Kibaki is not a political ploy. It simply is confusion… medically/mental confusion. Yaani, mzee ni mgonjwa. He should never be made to plant a tree in public.
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Post by b6k on Mar 13, 2012 0:03:04 GMT 3
Give us a freekin break Kamale. Trust b6k to blindly agree with you. Firstly, all (and I mean all) opinion polls have shown Kenyans prefer and support the ICC process more than a local tribunal. Thus, your assertion that O-4 are riding on a wave of public sympathy is an invention in your small part of the world. Secondly, it is the accused themselves who have turned this into a political issue. Soon after Ocampo named his suspects, and during the entire pre-trial hearings, both Ruto and Uhuru did not make a secret about whom they wanted charged at the Hague. Uhuru did not have a shred of evidence but still asserted Raila was responsible for the PEV. After confirmation of the charges, the prayer rallies have all been about attacking the prime minister rather than prayers. Even Charles Kilonzo's forged UK letter was all about politicizing the process and targeting the prime minister. You should be the last person whom the prime minister should turn to for political advise. Let's face it. If Raila was truly in a hole as you allege, you wouldn't be exactly concerned or worried about it, would you? The issue here is that he is telling you and your folks the truth and this is a very bitter truth. Phil, naturally when I agreed with Furaha on another thread that when Raila said Uhuru & Ruto should be arrested (which I'm no longer sure he actually said since just as many have said he uttered no such statement as those saying it's about time he took the fight to the baby-sat killers) it was a welcome & long overdue statement, that never registered on your radar. Even Raila can't be wrong ALL the time.
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Post by topnotch on Mar 13, 2012 0:03:43 GMT 3
He should never be made to plant a tree in public. Are you saying Mzee might plant the tree upside down, then say the bloody bure journalists got it wrong ? ;D ;D ;D
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