Help us effect law, Raila tells Kenya’s friends
The former US secretary of State Madeleine Albright pledged to support the implementation of the new Constitution in Kenya last Tuesday 07/09/2010 at a meeting with Prime Minister Raila Odinga in his office. Ms Albright, who is currently the chairperson of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), was accompanied by former Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle and US Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger, saying they acknowledge the great amount of work needed in implementing the new Constitution. The Country is short of experienced drafters of Bills MPs must pass, said Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Tuesday sought international help in preparing crucial Bills that will bring the new Constitution into force. ,“by asking for support in drafting the Bills, the country will be seeking to benefit from the experiences of other countries”, he urge.
Six draft Bills including the Judicial Service Commission Bill have been prepared and were being considered by the nine-member Cabinet committee of Constitution Implementation.
Ban Ki-Moon the UN secretary General has visited Rwanda
Tuesday 7 September, 2010 the UN General Secretary was on a visit to Kigali. In the evening, he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and on Wednesday had a discussion with President Paul Kagame. The objective of this movement: to look into the Rwandese preoccupations and to reassure the Rwandese authorities, who had expressed concerns over the United Nations Report, which accuses the Rwandese Army of acts of genocide in the DRC between 1993 and 2003, to bring reassurance of the UNs determination to continue working with Kigali irrespective of the contents of this unofficial document.
Ivory Coast: The presidential candidates approve the voters list
The inter-Ivorian dialogue held in Abidjan on Monday 6 September brought together the different presidential candidates for the next elections to be held on 31 October 2010. Guillaume Soro, the Prime Minister announced that a political agreement had been signed on the final voters list between President Gbagbo, former President Bedie and the former Prime Minister Ouattara. “We all have agreed on the final voters list,” declared Guillaume Soro. “We have requested the President of the Independent Electoral Commission to do all that is possible to avail the final voters list this week. We have noted political goodwill from all the members of the inter-Ivorian dialogue to do all it takes so that the election of the president of the republic is held on the 31 October 2010.”
Burundi: Jean Claude Kavumbague accused of high treason
The Burundian justice refused to accord temporary freedom to Jean-Claude Kavumbagu, director of the e-journal Net press in preventive detention since 17th July. Maitre Gabriel Sinarinzi, one of his lawyers, denounced this unfair decision “It is naturally unfair, because this decision was taken in violation of the law (…) from the illegal conditions of the detention, it is clear that the judge failed to follow the law.” The Burundian civil society, the diplomatic press and other international organizations are closely monitoring this ruling.