Opposition politicians usually talk and behave desperately. It is worse in the developing nations where elections have continued to be seen as controversial. The well-thought out device that enables politicians in civilized societies to change national governments works in fits-and-starts in most parts of Africa.
African politicians see elections as Do-or-Die events – things that one must win or die in the process. Unfortunately, the places where elections run smoothly in the continent can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
However, in Kenya, it appears that common sense has prevailed, even temporarily. Since losing the presidential election to the incumbent president last August, Kenya’s opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has been raining fire and brimstone against the government. Mr. Odinga threatened to make Kenya ungovernable for President Uhuru.
He declared that his supporters would swear him on December 12, (this week) as the country’s rightful president. The US and Britain advised him not to toe such a line but he brushed them aside. Just one day to his “intended inauguration” Mr. Odinga announced that his group is postponing the mock ceremony until a later date. The world heaved a sigh of relief.
In a statement released to reporters last Monday, Mr. Odinga and his colleagues said the decision to shelve the ceremony had been reached after wide consultations but that they “remain fully on course in pursuit of electoral justice.” The Kenyan government had said the ceremony would amount to treason and warned that it would treat all those concerned as people engaging in such a heavy crime against the state.
Mr. Odinga prosecuted a successful legal challenge against President Kenyatta’s August re-election but boycotted the repeat vote in October, complaining that there had not been enough electoral reforms. He said he does not recognize Mr. Kenyatta as the country’s legitimate president.
