PNU's no to interim gov plan as visa ban slapped on hardliners

The PNU group walked out of the Kofi Annan mediations half way through the talks on the political stalemate after it was suggested that Kibaki and Raila step aside to allow Parliamentary Speaker Marende lead an interim government for a period of six months to be followed thereafter by new presidential elections. This suggestion was reached after both sides unanimously rejected a proposal of a permanent creation of a GNU having Raila as Leader of Government Business.

Kofi Annan is holding a meeting with top diplomats to brief them of their discussion and it is said further, that USA, European Union, Commonwealth and AU. The US has indicated its willingness to pay the costs of a rerun. This suggestion seems reasonable but its constitutionality is in doubt. Marende had promised at the inauguration of the talks at county hall that parliament was ready to do anything to facilitate a quick end to the political problems in Kenya. Hopefully, this includes an amendment of the constitution to enable such an arrangement.

The Marende gov was to be composed of credible ministers from either side with a clear agenda to fast-track constitutional review and explore ways of adopting the Bomas draft. Another sticking point for the interim government was resettlement of the displaced persons, reconstitution of the ECK and restoration of credibility in the judiciary. PNU has under-estimated the impact of their goof and they will wake up to a rude shock when the main donors and world capitals react to this walkout with even more serious actions.

Meanwhile the US and Canada have slapped a travel ban on discredited PNU hardliners and funding lords of mungiki. This came as the EU and UK is said to be thinking of the same dramatic options to coerce the election thieves and perpetrators of violence to give up their fantasy of a stolen presidency.