Presidential Elections in Guinea
After Sékou Touré, Lansana Conté and Dadis Camara, the Guineans finally make their first step towards democracy. They go to the polls on 19 September 2010 to decide who will be their next president between Alpha Condé and Cello Diallo in the second round of the Presidential elections.
The two candidates recently visited Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on the invitation of the Burkinabe mediator Blaise Compaoré. The mediator has vowed to ensure that the two candidates adopt a code of good behavior during the campaigns and accept the polls verdict. Compaoré appealed to the candidates to carry out civilized campaigns and most of all to avoid weakening the democratic process.
The two have been battling over the appropriate institution to preside over the elections with Alpha Condé favoring the use of Territorial Administration; while Cellou Dalein Diallo favors the use of the Electoral Commission.
Kenya has a new Constitution
About 12 million Kenyans took part in the national referendum that was held on 4th August 2010 to either adopt or reject the new Constitution. About 70% of those who voted rallied behind President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga in approving the new Constitution thereby heralding a new chapter in Kenya. The attainment of a new constitutional dispensation was one of the primary objectives of the ‘Agenda 4’ as enshrined in the Power-Sharing Accord that was signed in February 2008 by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga as part of ending the post election violence that rocked the country after the 2007 elections as well as a long-term solution to the numerous challenges that are facing Kenya.
The new Constitution seeks to improve governance and ensure equal distribution of national resources.
It abolishes the post of the Prime Minister and retains a presidential system of government but with clear checks and balances and provides for the impeachment of the president. Unlike in the past, all presidential appointments shall be vetted by the National Assembly.
It also creates a bicameral legislature in line with the proposed devolution of power and resources across the country as it seeks to ensure equal distribution of national resources. The legislature shall therefore comprise of the Senate and the National Assembly.
It also addresses the issue of land reform in Kenya, which is crucial for correcting “historical injustices”. Further the new Constitution provides an expansive Bill of Rights and special rights for women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and marginalized groups.
It also establishes a Supreme Court and an expanded and independent Judicial Service Commission that seeks to restore public trust and confidence in the justice system in Kenya. The challenging task of implementing the same has begun in earnest.
Kenya allows ICC to Operate without hindrance.
The Kenyan government has signed an agreement of 16 articles with the ICC that will allow judges, prosecutors, investigators and other ICC staff to collect evidence on the 2007 post-election violence without hindrance.
This will also allow the ICC to establish its office in Kenya as well as asserting that its property and assets, including archives and documents, shall be inviolable and immune from any legal process. Its assets, income and other property and its operations will be exempted from all direct taxes as well
Security officers of the ICC could also wear their uniform and carry arms in the execution of their mandate.
Uganda and Corruption
The International Community issues a warning to Uganda. The European Union, the World Bank and the United Kingdom and other major development partners have decided to reduce their support to the Ugandan budget by 10%. They accuse the Kampala authorities of not putting enough efforts into the fight against corruption.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, has officially announced his candidature. The Opposition has demanded that the Voters’ Register must be revised and a new Electoral Commission established if the elections are to be free and fair. Failure to which, they fear, the elections will still be marred with numerous irregularities as was the case in 2006 and perpetuate corruption and bad governance.
Rwanda threatens to withdraw its forces from the peace keeping mission in Sudan
Rwanda has said that it will withdraw soldiers who are on a peace keeping mission in Sudan if the UN goes ahead to publish a report accusing it of “acts of genocide”, committed in the eastern part of the DRC in 1996 and 1998. This unreleased confidential report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was revealed by the French daily Le Monde.
The vacuum to be left behind by the departure of 3,300 Rwandese peacekeepers currently in Darfur would be difficult to fill. Usage of the term ‘genocide’ to describe crimes allegedly committed by the Rwandan Army together with its Congolese allies in the eastern region of the DRC between 1996 and 1998 has annoyed Rwanda and the threat has been taken seriously by UN Headquarters in New York. The UN wants to maintain good ties with Rwanda and thinks that the term is too strong and has a negative impact as has been pointed out by the Secretary General and his staff.
The relationship between Rwanda and the UN has not always been smooth. Rwanda has always accused the UN of failing to prevent the 1994 genocide and for the UNHCR having permitted perpetrators of genocide to militarize the refugee camps of the eastern region of the DRC.
Rwanda maintains that the activities that were carried out in the DRC were simply a question of pursuing the perpetrators of genocide and therefore strongly objects to the use of the term “genocide” in the UN report.