Annan praises Kenya speaker for breaking deadlock

Annan praises Kenya speaker for breaking deadlock
Written by Wangui Kanina
Thursday, April 30, 2009 3:02:15 PM

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised Kenya's speaker of parliament on Wednesday for telling leaders of the fractious coalition government to end their feuding and get back to work. The administration was formed last year to solve post-election violence that displaced hundreds of thousands of people and hit trade and economic growth across the region.

But to the growing dismay of Kenyans and foreign investors, many of its senior members have squabbled ever since.

Annan, who led the talks that created the coalition, said he and other former mediators had followed with concern the deadlock over who would be the official leader of government business in parliament -- as well as a separate debate over who would chair an influential parliament committee.

Parliament Speaker Kenneth Marende had been expected to rule on both issues on Tuesday.

But instead he threw the decision back to the coalition parties, saying he expected they would resolve the issues "in good faith through consultation and willingness to compromise".

Analysts said he was effectively forcing President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the former opposition leader, back to the negotiating table to hammer out the details of their power-sharing agreement.

Annan and his former mediation team, Tanzanian ex-president Benjamin Mkapa and Graca Machel, said it was a good move.

"We welcome the ruling which should unblock the impasse and enable parliament to continue the important business of the people," Annan said in a statement.

"We applaud the Speaker for his wisdom and statesmanship."

Political tensions spiked last week after Odinga demanded a snap election if Kibaki did not name him as the official leader of government business in the house -- a powerful parliamentary position that is normally held by Kenya's vice-president.

The months of bickering have disappointed many in the country who say little governing is being done while food prices and inflation remain high -- and serious corruption allegations involving senior officials continue to surface.

Business leaders worry that the political instability could damage growth more than the global economic crisis.

A survey this month of 187 senior executives in the region showed 30 percent were worried about politics in the long term, while only 8 percent mentioned the word slump.

Annan said lawmakers needed to remember last year's tortuous negotiations that led to the creation of the coalition.

"It is imperative that they recapture the spirit of reconciliation," the former U.N. chief said in his statement.

Underlining local anger, a group of 10 non-governmental organisations urged women across the nation on Wednesday -- including the wives of politicians -- to go on a "sex boycott" for the next week in protest at the poor leadership.

Carol Agengo of the group, G10, said Kenyan women must make it clear that Kibaki and Odinga needed to "take control and lead this country to its desired destiny".