Supporters clash at hearing

By Beauttah Omanga

Differences between PNU and ODM spilled over to the Kriegler Commission with supporters of the two sides exchanging blows.

The commotion forced the commission chairman Johann Kriegler to sneak out of KICC, Nairobi.

ODM activist Irshard Sumra was wrestled to the floor when he resisted attempts to be ejected out of the hall. Consequently, the morning session was suspended.

Kriegler, the South African retired judge chairing the hearings, watched in disbelief as the audience extended election differences to the commission.

The drama at the KICC was a replay of the chaotic presidential election vote tallying where civil society members and ODM leaders heckled ECK Chairman Samuel Kivuitu at the same venue when he appeared to delay the presidential results amid rising tension.

The country was in tenterhooks for two days and KICC was turned into a theatre of heckling, bitter exchanges and accusations of electoral fraud.

On Thursday, trouble started when Kriegler ordered security officers to kick Sumra out of the hall for interrupting a speaker.

A PNU supporter, who had identified himself as Philip Mwangi was giving his views when Sumra demanded that the inquiry chairman takes control of the proceedings, which he alleged were getting out of hand.

Here are excerpts of the exchange:

Sumra: Mr Chairman, there is a lot of noise and we can’t hear anything. Can you take control?

Kriegler: Excuse me, can you sit down. The speaker is talking to us and we are hearing him.

Sumra: No! We must hear what he is saying because some people are peddling lies here against Mr Raila Odinga (loud murmurs from the audience).

Krieger then ordered security officers to eject Sumra.

“Take this man out. He doesn’t want to listen to others,” he said.

But Sumra shot back: “I can’t go out, what have I done? It is my right to be here and nobody will eject me.”

But Kriegler told his orderlies to eject Sumra out of the hall.

Proceedings ended

The officers seized the ODM activist and started pushing him but he resisted.

ODM and PNU supporters joined the fray as Sumra sat on the floor, frustrating those who wanted to throw him out.

As tension gripped the hall, the panic-stricken commissioners hurried out, bringing the morning proceedings to a premature end.

The incident was a culmination of a session characterised by jeers and cheers from the supporters of the two parties.

The ECK came under criticism for the second day with ODM supporters saying the officials, led by chairman Samuel Kivuitu, robbed their candidate Raila Odinga of the presidency.

Recommendations from Thursday’s session included a demand that the Justice and Constitutional affairs ministry be abolished. Speakers blamed it for the country’s leadership controversies.

The ECK chairman was censored for allegedly giving in to pressure to hurriedly declare President Kibaki a winner.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka was also accused of betraying the opposition by accepting to join PNU despite protests over alleged rigging.

courtesy of:http://www.eastandard.net/headlines/?id=1143989189&cid=4