PNU looking to withdraw from Grand Coalition
FILE | NATION> Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau, a PNU official, addresses a media briefing, January 6, 2011 at Parliament buildings. On Wednesday, he and other party officials wrote to PNU chairman George Saitoti asking him to call for a meeting to discuss withdrawal from the coalition government.
The Party of National Unity (PNU) is calling for a meeting to discuss withdrawal from the Grand Coalition government by March 4 this year.
Party officials on Wednesday wrote to its chairman, Prof George Saitoti, asking him to call for a national delegates conference within 21 days, with a view to discussing the withdrawal agenda.
This, they said, would be in accordance with Section 6C of the National Dialogue and Reconciliation Act.
The Act states that the coalition shall stand dissolved if the 10th Parliament is dissolved; the coalition parties agree in writing; or one coalition partner withdraws from the coalition by a resolution of the highest decision-making organ of that party in writing.
PNU is one of the partners in Kenya’s coalition, with President Kibaki being the most senior member of the party.
PNU cited constant wrangling with partner Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party – led by Prime Minister Raila Odinga - as the reason for wanting to break from the coalition.
The officials - who included joint vice-chair Jamleck Kamau and Jimmy Angwenyi, deputy secretary-general Jeremiah Kioni, deputy treasurer Nderitu Murithi and Youth representative Christopher Bett - said the move would pave way for the formation of a government of national unity.
“As one of the coalition partners in this grand coalition government, it has come time for us to review whether it is in the benefit of this country to continue remaining in the grand coalition,” Mr Kioni, who is also Ndaragwa MP said.
Speaking at the party offices in Nairobi, they expressed their support for President Kibaki’s announcement of the judiciary nominees last week, a move that sparked controversy and criticized for not being consultative.
The issue was a matter of heated debate in Parliament on Tuesday, and House Speaker Kenneth Marende is on Thursday expected to rule on the legality of the nominations.
However, on Wednesday PNU officials questioned the move, saying only the courts were mandated to interpret the law.
