Kenya 'should cool tensions'
2005-11-29 22:31
Nairobi - Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai on Tuesday urged Kenya's bickering political leaders to show restraint in a crisis of authority that has raised fears of unrest in east Africa's most stable nation.
Hoping to trade on respect she gained when she won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, Maathai urged Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and the opposition to cool tensions that have erupted after last week's rejection of a new constitution.
"Leaders must now remove the barrier which divided Kenyans and now threatens justice and security," she told reporters at a news conference in Nairobi.
"Now is the time for leaders to come together and dialogue to seek consensus."
"It is time for restraint," Maathai said, decrying a rise in belligerent rhetoric between the two camps since Kenya's people voted down the draft charter Kibaki supported in a November 21 referendum.
Foes of the constitution - gathered into an Orange Democratic Movement for the fruit that was the ballot symbol for "no" - say the rejection was a no confidence vote in Kibaki and have demanded snap parliamentary elections.
The president, who led the so-called Banana campaign for "yes", has sacked his entire cabinet, pledging a new line-up by next week, and suspended Tuesday's planned re-opening of parliament but has refused to call new polls.
On Sunday, the government banned all opposition demonstrations calling for fresh elections, prompting vows by the Orange leadership to defy the order and sparking concerns that the showdown may turn violent.
"The ongoing exchanges, threats, demands and war of words between the Orange and Banana camps are not conducive for reconciliation and national healing, which we all need at this trying time," said Maathai.
The referendum had deeply split Kibaki's government with seven dissident cabinet ministers urging its defeat as it retained near absolute powers in the presidency and did not meet popular demands for an empowered premier.
Maathai, who had served as deputy environment minister in Kibaki's former cabinet, had called for the referendum to be postponed following a violence-marred campaign in which at least eight people were killed.
- SAPA