Maravi

Kenya's power sharing

Kenya's power sharing
By Editor
Sunday March 02, 2008 [03:00]

The political compromises that have been made in Kenya between Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga and their supporters deserve the support of all. Of course, it should never be forgotten that these compromises have been paid for or procured with the blood and lives of more than 1,000 innocent Kenyans. And because of this, they must be made to produce the peace and tranquility that the people of Kenya are today seeking and indeed deserve.

But if peace is to be established in Kenya, if this power-sharing between Kibaki and Odinga is to bear fruit, the primary requisite is to use it to eradicate the cause of dissension between these two groups.

These attempts at political reconciliation in Kenya cannot just remain mere words, cannot just end with power-sharing between Kibaki and Odinga; it has to be visible in the concrete actions where these two leaders have to show the way. And the Kenyan people shouldn’t in any way be enticed to read political reconciliation and fairness in their country as meaning parity between justice and injustice.

However, it is not possible to achieve true reconciliation in Kenya without seeking and accepting forgiveness.

And all those who have been involved in the process of stopping the political conflict in Kenya by bringing Kibaki and Odinga and their supporters to negotiate and make the necessary concessions deserve a lot of credit.

What this negotiated settlement of Kenya’s political dispute teaches us is that negotiated solutions can be found even to conflicts that have come to seem intractable and such solutions emerge when those who have been divided reach out to find the common ground.

We can only hope other African countries that have more or less similar political problems will learn something from the way the Kenyan conflict has been handled. It is clear that when one negotiates, one must be prepared to compromise and that concessions are inherent in negotiations.

When this Kenyan conflict started, it was difficult to see on what grounds compromise could be struck. Kibaki and his group maintained that the election results could only be challenged constitutionally and legally in court, and not elsewhere. On the other hand, Odinga and his group maintained that Kibaki’s presidency was illegitimate, illegal and as such they could not deal with him until he renounced his claim to the presidency. These were very big, fundamental and complicated demands. But this is the nature of compromising: you can compromise on fundamental issues. Insignificant things, peripheral issues, don’t need any compromise.

Moreover, democracy in Kenya will only start to flourish when Kenyans start to accept the need for tolerance and compromise in their country’s politics. It should never be forgotten that human beings possess a variety of sometimes contradictory desires. We want safety, yet we relish adventure; we aspire to individual freedom, yet we demand social equality.

Democracy is no different, and it is important to recognise that many of these tensions, even paradoxes, are present in every society, especially democratic societies. A central paradox exists between conflict and consensus. Democracy is in many ways nothing more than a set of rules for managing conflict. At the same time, this conflict must be managed within certain limits and result in compromises, consensus or other agreements that all sides accept as legitimate. An overemphasis on one side of the equation can threaten the entire undertaking. If groups perceive democracy as nothing more than a forum in which they can press their demands, then society can shatter from within.

Clearly, democracy is not a machine that runs by itself once the proper principles and procedures are inserted. A democratic society needs the commitment of citizens who accept the inevitability of conflict as well as the necessity for tolerance.

It is for this reason that the culture of democracy is so important to develop. Individuals and groups must be willing, at a minimum, to tolerate each other’s differences, recognising that the other side has valid rights and a legitimate point of view. The various sides to a dispute can then meet in a spirit of compromise and seek a specific solution that builds on the general principle of majority rule and minority rights.

Today, it is interesting to note that those who were at each other’s throat yesterday are partners, they are sharing power in the Kenyan government – they have put up what one can call a coalition government. This is what reconciliation means – turning your enemy or opponent into your political or coalition partner. Actually, coalition-building appears to be the essence of democratic action. It teaches us to negotiate with others, to compromise and to work within the constitutional system. By working to establish coalition, groups with differences learn how to argue peaceably, how to pursue their goals in a democratic manner and ultimately how to live in a world of diversity.

We hope the political leaders of Kenya have learnt their lessons and have come to the conclusion that the mark of great leaders is the ability to understand the context in which they are operating and act accordingly. If they had in the first place understood this, Kenya wouldn’t have lost so many lives of innocent people and so many citizens of that country wouldn’t have been left maimed or injured and their property would have been spared from wanton destruction.

It is clear to us that those who are ready to join hands can overcome the greatest challenges. And we are confident that if the Kenyans join hands to try and overcome their differences and political challenges, they will succeed, and nothing can stop them. And as long as they remain determined and have an iron will, they will be able to turn these misfortunes into advantage.

We do appreciate the anger that followed those disputed elections. But anger should be a temporary feeling – one should soon forget it, particularly if one is involved in positive activities and attitudes. It is not easy to remain bitter for a very long time if one is busy with constructive things. Continued political conflict threatens not only the gains Kenyans have made but also their collective future, pushing them into deeper poverty and backwardness. They need to treat the question of peace and stability in their country as a common challenge. The important thing is to give happiness to every Kenyan.

Labels: KENYA

posted by MrK @ 8:57 AM