Holder, who served as deputy attorney general under former president Bill Clinton, has accepted Obama’s invitation to head the Justice Department, Newsweek magazine said, citing legal sources close to the presidential transition.

Obama’s transition team did not immediately comment on the report, which was later confirmed by NBC news.

“Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted,” Newsweek said, adding that “the announcement is not likely until after Obama announces his choices to lead the Treasury and State departments.”

Holder would face Senate confirmation hearings in order to officially take on the post, which would put him at the head of the Justice Department as the US government’s chief law enforcement officer.

Holder was co-chief along with Caroline Kennedy of Obama’s vice-presidential selection process and, like Obama, is a fellow alumnus of Columbia University in New York.

“He was on the short list from the beginning and obvious choice,” Newsweek reporter Michael Isikoff told CNN.

“Also, a symbolic choice. This will be the first, he will be the first African-American to head the Justice Department, and that’s a pretty big deal in its own right.”

Holder 57, is a partner in the Washington law firm of Covington and Burling. He has served as a superior court judge in the nation’s capital and was named the capital’s US attorney by former president Clinton before taking the post of deputy attorney general under Janet Reno in 1997.

Isikoff, who broke the story, said that the Obama team likely chose Holder because of his experience in the Justice Department and viewed him as a stark contrast to those who served under President George W. Bush.

Holder “lives and breathes the culture of the Justice Department. He served for years in the public integrity section of the Justice Department, and prosecuting political corruption, Republicans and Democrats,” said Isikoff.

“One of the big criticisms of the Bush team both in the first term and the second term is that … they weren’t a part of the Justice Department, and they didn’t quite understand the very unique culture at Justice. Eric Holder does.”

The current US attorney general is Michael Mukasey. During his eight years in office, Bush has previously named Alberto Gonzalez and John Ashcroft to the post.

Gonzalez resigned in 2007 amid controversy over his role in and tstimony he gave to lawmakers about the firings of US prosecutors.

Ashcroft, who oversaw a series of anti-terror regulations in the aftermath of the Spetember 11, 2001 attacks, resigned after Bush’s first term ended.

According to reports, Obama’s vetting team wanted to make sure that controversy over Holder’s role in the presidential pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich at the end of the Clinton administration would not prevent his confirmation.

When the Clinton White House asked Holder for his view on the potential pardon of commodities trader Rich in January 2001, Holder gave it a “neutral leaning towards favorable.”

Clinton pardoned Rich. Critics said the move showed that Rich had bought his freedom, because Rich’s wife had donated amply to Clinton’s campaign.

Holder later came under fire for not raising enough questions about whether or not Rich should have been pardoned, but was not implicated of any wrongdoing.

“After reviewing the evidence in the case, and checking with staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Obama aides and Holder both decided the issue was highly unlikely to prove an obstacle to his confirmation,” Newsweek said, citing one source close to the process.

Holder has said he met Obama at a dinner party in 2004 and was energized by the Illinois senator’s campaign to become America’s first black president.

“I think we share a world view,” Holder told American Lawyer magazine in a June profile.

Obama “is not defined by his race. He’s proud of it, cognizant of the pernicious effect that race has had in our history but not defined by it.”

Holder was born in New York City. His father was an immigrant from Barbados who came to the United States when he was a teenager.

Holder majored in American history at Columbia College before earning his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1976.

He currently lives in Washington with his wife Sharon, who works as an obstetrician, and their three children.

Courtesy of:  http://ca.news.yahoo.com

CONTACT: The Real News Network

Taruna Godric, 416-916-5202 ext. 414

E-mail: smcommunications@therealnews.com

Website: http://www.therealnews.com

Crisis in Congo

For the past 14 years rival tribes in the Rwanda-Congo region have been in a battle that has seen the death of at least 5.4 million people.

 According to Journalist Shashank Bengali “the conflict in Congo really began with the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.”  After this slaughtering of the Tutsi tribe by the Hutu, the Hutu fled over the border neighbouring the Congo and established themselves there.

In the past few years we’ve seen Congolese army general, Laurent Nkunda, a member of the Tutsi,  leave the army to take up arms forming a rebel group which he claims is needed to protect members of his ethnic group from the Hutu. 

Many people feel that Nkunda is using the historical pretext of the Hut-Tutsi conflict as a veil to secure his actual interests.  “The growing rebellion…is something much much bigger,(it is) not just to protect members of his ethnic group but also to try to seize territory and ….challenge the government in Congo as a whole” says Bengali.

Despite Laurent Nkunda’s promise to support a UN backed cease fire, fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues. Government forces battled Laurent Nkunda’s rebel army north of the provincial capital of Goma on the weekend, in a battle that has so far displaced at least 250,000 people since August.

Bengali feels “the threat of violence is ever-present in Congo”.

For part one of this story visit our website:

http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=2806&updaterx=2008-11-18+10%3A00%3A24

In Summary

Over 20 plots sold and village gets its first bar as tourism boom now beckons

Want to start a business or buy a prime piece of land? May be the best place to start shopping is Nyang’oma Kogelo, the village where US president-elect Barack Obama traces his paternal roots.

Less than two weeks since Mr Obama was elected to the highest political office in America and the world, all the shops at the local Nyang’oma Kogelo market have been rented out and close to 20 pieces of land have been sold.

Interestingly, some of the buyers come from as far away as America.

Mr Barrack Obama Snr came from Nyang’oma Kogelo. According to the area chief, Mr James Obalo, even those with undeveloped plots at the local shopping centre have resurfaced and have started making arrangements to develop them, hoping to cash in on the Obama boom.

“Things are moving very fast here. A few days ago, this market did not even have a bar, but now an investor from Kisumu has put up one and more people are coming here either asking for land or premises to let,” he said.

The chief said there have even been inquiries from investors who want to put up a tourist hotel in the area.

“And although the value of land has not shot up, we expect it to go up soon as more people seek investment opportunities here,” Mr Obalo said.

Investments

Prospects for investments in the tourism sector in the area look even brighter following a visit from officials of the  Ministry of Tourism who said plans were underway to brand the village as a tourist destination to be known as “the Obama route”.

The officials led by the chairperson of the Domestic Tourism Council of Kenya, Ms Anastanzia Wakesho, said the tourism body was committed to creating programmes to make Nyang’oma Kogelo attractive to both foreign and local investors.

Prospects of the village becoming a major tourism attraction are high because of the interest the place has attracted among prospective tourists from not only America but from also from Europe following Mr Obama’s victory in the November 4 presidential election.

According to the general manager of Mombasa based tourist firm, Kenya Easy Safaris, Mr Jones Skipper, since Mr Obama was elected US president, he, Mr Skipper had received numerous inquiries from tourists who want to visit Nyang’oma Kogelo.

“Right now I have two tourists from Poland who want to go to Kogelo and see where Mr Obama’s father was born,” he said.

The area is likely to attract more tourists to the western Kenya tourism circuit because of the association of the village to the American president-elect.

“Because of Mr Obama’s world-wide popularity, he can easily make Nyang’oma Kogelo a major tourist destination,” Mr Skipper said.   

And the Government has shown indications that it is committed to opening up the area for investment by upgrading the roads and supplying electricity in the village.

This was the first time since independence that electricity reached the area.

Immediately after Mr Obama was declared the American president–elect, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company set about erecting poles and laying cables to supply electricity to the home of Mr Obama’s grandmother, Sarah Obama.

Trucks and graders from the Ministry of Roads and Public Works were also deployed to the area to repair the road leading to the home. A security patrol base has also been set up at Sarah’s home to boost security.

Siaya district commissioner Boaz Cherutich said the patrol base would remain indefinitely.

“The district security team established the base to maintain law and order in the village,” he said.Mr Cherutich said he was satisfied with the security arrangements at the home, adding that the patrol base did not interfere with the life of Mr Obama’s Kenyan relatives.

“They are moving freely and have welcomed many visitors,” the administrator said.

The police post was established a day after a burglary attempt at Mama Sarah’s home. Since then, police have been screening visitors to the home. The hedge around the home has also been replaced with a barbed wire fence.

The emergence of Nyang’oma Kogelo as a tourist attraction is expected to boost Government plans to reopen the western Kenya tourism circuit, which includes Nyanza and Western provinces and parts of Rift Valley provinces.

The major tourist attractions in the region include Lake Victoria, the third largest fresh water lake in the world, and also the source of River Nile.

Others are the Mt Elgon, Kakamega Forest, Ndere Island, Impala, Saiwa Swampand and Ruma national parks.

The circuit received a major boost recently when the Kenya Airports Authority embarked on a programme to modernise and expand Kisumu airport at a cost of Sh3 billion.

A Chinese firm has been awarded the tender to expand the airport’s two-kilometre runway and modernise the passenger terminal.

There is also the ambitious multi-million-shilling investment initiative spearheaded by Kenya Railways Corporation intended to turn Kisumu into a regional business and tourism hub.

In what is expected to be the biggest investment in a single town in the country in recent times, Kisumu is set to have a five-star hotel with 400 rooms, two three-star hotels with 300 rooms each, and an international conference centre with facilities to accommodate more than 2,000 people.

The town will also have a metropolitan railway system, an ultra-modern office park consisting of multi-storey commercial buildings, a car-park that can hold 2,000 vehicles, a shopping mall, a business process outsourcing park, a floating restaurant and other recreation facilities.

The Lake View Resort City initiative is modelled on Sun City of South Africa and is to be jointly implemented by a consortium of foreign and local investors.

Sun City is a casino resort town and tourist centre, which is about two hours drive from Johannesburg.

Courtesy of:http://www.nation.co.ke

In Summary

PM says debate going on seeks to find out how to implement it

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Tuesday assured the international community that both the Waki and Kriegler reports will be implemented.

Speaking when he met visiting Denmark Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen at his Treasury Building office in Nairobi on Tuesday, Mr Odinga said there was no in-fighting in Government over implementation of the reports.

“We are talking to get a solution. We are not fighting. People are only expressing the right to give their views,” said Mr Odinga.

He added: “In the case of the Waki (report), we are discussing whether to do it (try suspects) in Kenya or the matter goes to The Hague where we will have no say.”

Trashed it

He said the debate was not whether to implement the reports or not.

“It is which way to do it … which way to follow. We are sure we will find the way,” said Mr Odinga.

In apparent reference to his alleged fallout with Rift Valley ODM MPs led by Eldoret North’s William Ruto over the Waki report, a hard-talking Mr Odinga was at pains to explain that all was well.

The ODM party leader said he was not fighting nor competing with anybody and that it was the democratic right of all Kenyans to state their views on the Waki report.

While Mr Odinga has been spearheading the implementation of the Waki report, Mr Ruto has trashed it, saying it was a collection of rumours.

Supporters of the Agriculture minister have also locked horns with Mr Odinga, accusing the Langata MP of wanting to “finish” the Eldoret North MP politically by pushing for the implementation of the Waki report.

Mr Odinga said the media should help cool emotions raised by the Waki report but not add more fire.

On Monday, European Union member countries threatened to cut aid to Kenya if the Waki and Kriegler reports were not implemented.

On Tuesday, Mr Rasmussen said there was need for progress in the healing and reconciliation process.

Job creation

Mr Rasmussen said Denmark has been closely following events in Kenya since the post-election chaos and called for full implementation of the reports. He said the implementation of the reports would result in greater cooperation between Kenya and the EU and Denmark.

Denmark is spearheading promotion of private business in Africa for job creation and development.

On Tuesday, Mr Odinga called for joint ventures between Danish and Kenyan businessmen in agriculture, infrastructure development, shipping and trade.

He said Denmark had injected more than US$40 billion in Kenya since the two countries started cooperating in 1963.

Courtesy of:http://www.nation.co.ke

In Summary

Robust economic growth and free primary education credited for reduction of poverty

Free education, CDF and scrapping of some medical charges in public health centres have helped to reduce poverty in Kenya, says a new report.

The survey released on Tuesday shows how the levels of poverty are distributed in each of the 210 constituencies. Kajiado North constituency was ranked top while Turkana Central took the ‘poorest’ slot.

Nationally, the number of poor people fell from 52 per cent in 2002 to 46 per cent in 2006, according to the “Wellbeing In Kenya” survey released by Planning assistant minister Peter Kenneth.

The survey will now be used to determine how much money each constituency will get in the next financial year since it ranks the richest and poorest areas of the country.

The report was shelved earlier this year after some MPs from Nyanza Province, led by Mr Jakoyo Midiwo, claimed that its findings had been doctored to show that the region was relatively well off.

According to the MPs, poverty levels were still high in the region.

They rejected the report, saying it was meant to deny the region its fair share of the national cake. But its launch on Tuesday means that it will be used as the basis to distribute CDF allocations in the next financial year.

Kenya had about 36 million people when the survey was conducted, according to the director-general of the Kenya Bureau of Statistics, Mr Anthony Kilele.

In 2002, 18.7 million people were classified as poor, compared to 16.6 million in 2006. This means that during the five0-year period, 2.1 million people escaped from poverty.

According to the report, poverty is measured by the amount of money one needs to buy food to meet minimum nutritional requirements.

A person living in a rural area needs Sh1,562 while one who lives in a town needs Sh2,913 per month. Anyone who spends less than this amount on food is regarded as poor.

Constituencies are ranked according to the percentage of their populations living under the poverty line.

Mr Kilele said robust economic growth over the last five years had contributed to helping more people out of poverty.

The economy had been growing at a rate of about six per cent per year for the period under review.

“There was more money going into people’s pockets allowing them to live better lives,” said Mr Kilele.

“There was also increased transfer of funds from the urban areas to rural parts of the country,” the official said.

However, the economy experienced negative growth in the first four months of the year due to post-election violence.

Mr Kilele said the many building projects during the five years and the increase in the number of vehicles indicated overall economic growth.

The CDF kitty meant there was a lot of money being released to all parts of the country, and this led to the creation of more jobs and a reduction in the levels of unemployment.

The introduction of the free primary education under Narc also left parents with more money which they could spend on improving their lifestyles. Removal of charges in hospitals, especially for malaria and maternity services also ensured that more Kenyans had access to medicines.

According to the Constituency Report of Well-Being in Kenya, which is based on the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey of 2005/2006, Kajiado North is now ranked as the richest of the 210 constituencies.

Out of a projected population of 237,507, only about 25,308 (or 11.5 per cent) were classified as poor.

Coming a close second was Kajiado Central constituency where only 13,909 (or 13 per cent) of the 108,097 people live in poverty.

Kajiado South, Westlands, Kabete, Kiambaa, Ntonyiri and Nairobi’s Lang’ata, Embakasi and Starehe were among the top 10 richest constituencies in that order.

The poorest constituency was Turkana Central, where 97 per cent of the people were listed as poor. The constituency has 218,181 people.

Other areas at the bottom of the list were Turkana South (96 per cent), North Horr (95 per cent), Saku (94 per cent), Wajir (93 per cent) and Wajir South (90 per cent). The constituencies together have 1.2 million people.

According to the Labour Force report, which was also released yesterday, 1.9 million people aged between 15 and 64 are jobless.

Overall, there are 12.7 million people in this age bracket, which means that majority of them — about 10 million people — are in gainful employment.

Despite this relatively rosy picture, statistics show that 51 per cent of Kenyans remain undernourished. Those without enough to eat were getting 1,261 calories per person per day, which was far below the recommended 1,830 calories.

The reports were launched by Mr Kenneth as part of celebrations to mark the African Statistics Day at the KICC, Nairobi.

Mr Kenneth said rising food prices had led to an increase in inflation, resulting in the reduction of people’s buying power, which in turn cut savings and investments.

“Rising food prices have a direct and detrimental effect on economic growth, wealth creation and poverty,” Mr Kenneth said.

Courtesy of:http://www.nation.co.ke

By Rev Okoth Otura`

www.cdmk.org

The unregistered-Christian Democratic Movement of Kenya (CDMK) hereby urges he Kenyan PM Raila and Hon Rutu must stop gambling with the lives of innocents Kenyans, who for decades have suffered in the hands of Moi and Kibaki regimes,  which both have served as Ministers.

It is not prudent for these men to start strategizing for 2012 general election by causing confusion and driving wedge of hatred and tribalism among their respective communities, while just last the knelt down praying seeking votes in unity.

The current looming political division in ODM is a mere political gimmick to divert Kenyans and the world attention from the purpose and platform on which they were elected for.

The Waki Report is irreversible, and must be implemented despite who becomes the President of Kenyan today or tomorrow; therefore, any political propaganda bordering the case is inconsequential.

Kenyans voted overwhelmingly for ODM to bring about a long awaited Majimbo constitution, in the process the election was rigged, and thereafter innocent children, women, men, elderly and disabled were brutally murdered and maimed, with several bodies still unclaimed in mortuaries across the country, while thousands are still living in IDP’s as refugees in and out of Kenya, without dignify livelihood, just because they demonstrating against the flawed election on behave of ODM.

Trying to shut up Kenyans memoirs from such horrors , by redirecting  their focus on 2012 general election without new majimbo constitution in place, is setting up a battle field and arming the Kenyan communities against each other,  which will definitely drive the county into unbearable chaos with the danger of recurrence of the same or worse bloodshed.

The Kalenjins and Luos paid the bulk of the prize, young men and women ran directly into cloud of bullets from police, dying while  shouting “ODM-MAJIMBO!  WITHOUT RAILA NO PEACE!  HAKI YETU! ”, these tribes strongly stood against the wave of bullets from brutal militia invaders, who killed them indiscriminately.

The wounds are still fresh, the bullets and arrow scars are visible, and the graves are in every village corner in Western, Rift Valley, Coast and Nyanza provinces. Surviving orphans, widows, widowers and the elderly are still under severe post traumatic experience of the election violence, and yet the political elites in ODM want to wholesomely deny them justice. This is unacceptable to freely give amnesty to mass murderers, whether they are ministers or a youth wingers, all must face the justice bench.

Since the death of the Late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in 1994, Kenyans have been tossed around by the wave of compromised politics of convenience, based on short term gain alliances of political turn-coats, prone in misusing their communities against other Kenyans for their benefits.

It is indeed absurd for Kenyan PM, Raila ,” a renown reformists”, who have lost many comrades in the transformation battle field to be lured into contradicting political ideology, to downplay  the death of thousands Kenyans murdered or assassinated  since 1966 when agitating for a new constitution. 

It is also devastating for Raila to fall prey to a conservative like “Rutu” who is masquerading  as reformist while his agenda is solely to hijack and frustrate  the reform process.

BY GEORGE MUNYORI and PPS
 

NAIROBI- The unity of purpose achieved through the formation of the Grand Coalition government has presented the country with a suitable moment to deliver a new constitution, President Mwai Kibaki has said.

Speaking at Safari Park Hotel on Monday while officially opening the National Seminar on the Role of Parliament in the Reconciliation and Institutional Reform Process in Kenya, President Kibaki noted that the Tenth Parliament was uniquely placed to achieve the delivery of a new constitution.

The President said that many of the current challenges facing the country particularly those contained in Agenda Four of the Serena talks would be comprehensively addressed through a new constitution.

The Head of State noted that the country has taken bold steps towards the achievement of a new constitution citing the passing of the Constitutional of Kenya Review Bill which he will assent to soon.

President Kibaki said that the envisioned constitution must not only address modern day challenges but also provide a frame work for future generations to harness the opportunities that may arise.

He said: “I am aware of the urgency members of the public have attached to a new constitutional dispensation. We must also handle the constitutional agenda carefully and soberly.”

During the occasion President Kibaki challenged the parliamentarians to discuss issues confronting the country freely and frankly as a strong foundation on which to build a stable and prosperous democracy.

“I appeal to all participants to ensure that this seminar makes concrete and realistic recommendations in the form of a Parliamentary Action Plan which will assist in addressing the challenges facing Kenya both in terms of reconciling our people and carrying out institutional reforms,” said President Kibaki.

The Head of State told the participants that the government was working towards the establishment of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission to review past and recent grievances and enquire into human rights violations.

He noted: “It is my conviction that these processes will enable Kenyans to discuss and debate the various issues facing our nation.”

President Kibaki appealed to Kenyans to dedicate themselves to promoting national healing and reconciliation as well as strive to adopt a forward looking mentality.

“We must learn from the mistakes of the past, but not to the extent of turning our backs against the future. We must maintain our focus on the future because the younger generation is looking up to us for answers to the challenges they are continuing to face,” said the Head of State.

The President assured the participants and Kenyans in general of the government’s full support of the ongoing reforms as well as all vital recommendations made by the seminar.

In this regard, he said that considerable progress had been made through introduction of legal and institutional reforms giving the example of the Political Parties Act which offers a frame work to overcome the challenges in the management and growth of viable political parties.

The President said: “This Act will go along way in ensuring that political parties play the role of national integration, and have a national outlook as well as coherent ideological and policy commitments that promote national stability and economic development.”

President Kibaki challenged Members of Parliament to rise above selfish and partisan commitments and focus on an agenda that is good for the country as a whole.

He expressed the commitment of his government to strengthen Parliament as the supreme organ of the State which can lead the way in transforming the country for the collective benefit of all Kenyans.

The President said, “Parliament must also remain sensitive to the realities in our nation and the hard economic times that the ordinary citizens are facing. We have many competing economic and social demands. This calls for the highest sense of responsibility and patriotism amongst all Parliamentarians.”

The Head of State termed unemployment and under-employment among the youth as one of the critical challenges facing the country.

He observed: “Every year, 800,000 are joining the labour force. We must give priority to this issue in all our deliberations because we must engage our youth to make them feel proud of this country as a free and just home of opportunity.”

With regard to electoral reforms, the President said that a committee had been constituted to develop an action plan for implementing recommendations proposed by the Kriegler Commission.

“The action plan is presently being developed to pave way for the implementation of appropriate reforms,” said the Head of State.

The President commended the topics scheduled for discussion terming them relevant and timely particularly coming after the country experienced unprecedented challenges at the beginning of this year.

The Head of State observed: “The events that unfolded brought to fore underlying structural and institutional constraints that call for a broad reform agenda involving comprehensive constitutional and electoral reforms.”
Speaking during the same occasion Prime Minister Raila Odinga urged parliamentarians to desist from making statements that divide Kenyans along ethnic lines for selfish and narrow interests.

The Prime Minister called on political leaders not to retreat to their ethnic cocoons while dealing with crucial and crosscutting issues of national and even international interest.

He also cited occasions when the Parliament failed to seize opportunities to address sensitive issues that have afflicted the country until the founding fathers left the stage particularly land problems which formed the centre of the struggle for independence.

The Prime Minister also cited the turning of the country into a one party State by the Parliament in 1980s and the ensuing struggles that led to restoration of multiparty democracy in the country.

Other Speakers during the occasion were Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende, Justice, National Reconciliation and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Martha Karua and representatives of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

The Seminar was attended by several Cabinet Ministers, Assistant Ministers, Members of the Parliament, senior government officials and representatives of the civil society organisations among others. 

Courtesy of:http://www.capitalfm.co.ke

By NATION Team

In Summary

Party leaders disagree with the agriculture minister over report on election violence

A group of ODM MPs have asked Agriculture minister William Ruto to stop criticising Prime Minister Raila Odinga after Mr Ruto said he would lead the party’s supporters in Rift Valley to decamp from the party.

On Saturday Mr Ruto said he would lead ODM supporters from Rift Valley in ditching the party if their interests were not safeguarded.

And for the first time since the December 2007 elections, he publicly criticised Mr Odinga for failing to defend the interests of the Kalenjin community.

It is understood that Rift Valley MPs are considering the option of joining the United Democratic Movement (UDM), a party that fielded candidates in the Ainamoi, Bomet and Sotik by-elections but lost to ODM.

After the Sotik by-elections last September, Mr Ruto said that although he was a founder member of UDM, he was no longer active.

And at the weekend, he said Rift Valley residents were concerned with the manner in which the PM was handling the Waki report and the planned eviction of families from the Mau Forest water catchment.

“No one invited us to join ODM and when we feel deemed to leave we shall do so by our choice without having to seek any one’s permission,” he said in Olenguruone at the weekend.

And Industrialisation minister Henry Kosgey appeared to join the fray when he dismissed leaders calling for the implementation of the Waki report.

He described the report as “shoddy” and argued that the putting people’s names in an envelope amounted to tarnishing their reputations before they were given an opportunity to defend themselves.

The names in the envelope are yet to be made public. Mr Justice Philip Waki, who investigated the post-election violence, handed the list to former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. The names in the envelope will be handed over to the International Criminal Court if Kenya fails to set up a tribunal to try those linked to the violence.

According to Mr Kosgey, the violence started because “Kenyans were angered by the delay in announcing the (election) results”.

But assistant minister Orwa Ojode, MPs Jakoyo Midiwo, Musa Sirma and former MP Owino Likowa yesterday disagreed with Mr Ruto and Mr Kosgey.

They told Mr Ruto to stop issuing threats and instead use the party’s channels to resolve the problems facing his community.

“Ruto is a good friend and a very brilliant politician who knows that negotiations are best done in the boardroom. This matter of issuing threats at a public rally is not good for the party,” said Mr Ojode.

Mr Midiwo, the Government Chief Whip, asked MPs to stop criticising the PM and use the available means to solve the challenges facing their people.

“Rift Valley MPs think that the report is being used to victimise their own leaders and we have been seeing this going on for a long time…. What we are asking them is to stop blaming the Prime Minister for everything,” he said.

Mr Sirma also disagreed with Mr Ruto on the threat to quit ODM. He said the Kalenjin community had a stake in the party and was not ready to quit before the next elections. He also said it was inappropriate to criticise Mr Odinga.

“I am surprised with his (Mr Ruto’s) position,” he said. “This community is not there for auction to the highest bidder. We must make our position known that we are in ODM to stay.”

Mr Likowa said Mr Ruto’s threats were misplaced.

“As a senior member of the Orange party, the minister should be part of the solutions and not problems,” he said.

MPs from the Rift Valley have been complaining that they were short-changed in the distribution of Cabinet slots and appointments to key public positions in the civil service and parastatals since the Grand Coalition was formed in April.

Matters were complicated by Mr Odinga’s position that the Waki report on post-election violence be implemented in full. He also said that families settled in Mau Forest be evicted to protect Kenya’s largest water tower.

Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi has also called for the full implementation of the Waki report.

Medical Services minister Anyang Nyong’o, who attended the In Olenguruone meeting, had earlier tried to downplay the rift between Mr Ruto and Mr Odinga by assuring the community that the Mau issue should not be perceived as a source of conflict.

“Your people have always been supporting each other with our community through intermarriage and this was cemented last year by the decision to support ODM which your attested by the manner in which you voted for party leaders from councilors, MPs and for Raila Odinga,” Prof Nyong’o said.

But Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba, the ODM parliamentary group secretary, differed with Prof Nyong’o arguing that emerging party differences were sparked by the decision by the National Executive Council to reverse an earlier resolutions by MPs to reject the Waki report trashed.

“The NEC must learn to respect the views of MPs because their decision was based on the interests of the electorate. As such by ignoring them is like shutting wananchi out yet we are supposed to represent them,” he said.

Relatives bitter

Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny, a critic of Mr Odinga, claimed that 2,500 youths were languishing in jail following the chaos and that their relatives were bitter.

“This is why any attempt to prosecute leaders on the Waki secret list will spark fresh chaos,” he warned.

Mr Kutuny said the list of suspects in the Waki envelope should be handed back to Kenya and the President required to make the names public before setting up a special tribunal to try those implicated.

Konoin MP Julius Kones argued that the findings of the Waki report were a deliberate attempt to lock out certain politicians from the 2012 elections. He said the ODM parliamentary group would not rescind its decision to reject it.

Mr Ruto is on record as having rejected the report. Speaking in a mixture of English, Kiswahili and Kalenjin during the Olenguroeni meeting, Mr Ruto hit out at Mr Odinga for the stand he had taken on the report and the Mau Forest evictions.

In an apparent reference to Mr Odinga, Mr Ruto declared that everybody knew why the country was rocked by post-election violence. He urged leaders to face the real issues that would end recurrence of such violence.

“Why are we pretending that we don’t know why the country went to war? The cause of what happened in the country early this year was obvious,” Mr Ruto said.

According to him, it was surprising that Mr Odinga had turned around to tell the youths who engaged in what he called “mass action” to defend him after the elections that they should they should “carry their own cross.”

Mass action is usually peaceful but the post-election protests at the disputed presidential elections were characterised by violence in which 1,133 people were killed and over 300,000 displaced from their homes.

Asking for votes

“When arap Mibei (Mr Odinga’s nickname) went around asking for our votes, we turned out in large numbers to vote for him because he promised to take care of our interests. But now, when a person says everybody should carry his own cross, we are left wondering. Whose cross were we really fighting for?” he asked.

“I want to ask today: Which cross did we have before the elections were it not for the troubles that we shouldered trying to defend our candidate whom we believed had been rigged out?”

The minister said the Waki report was flawed and does not qualify to form the basis of an international trial “since it was based on hearsay”.

He said it should be rejected “in toto” because the cause of the violence was the errors made by the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK).

Mr Ruto also told Mr Odinga to respect the views of the ODM Parliamentary Group which had rejected the Waki report. He also asked the PM to consult other leaders in the running of party affairs.

Reported by Simon Siele, Noah Cheploen and Bernard Namunane

Courtesy of:http://www.nation.co.ke

CHICAGO - The bitter general election campaign behind them, President-elect Barack Obama and Republican Senator John McCain met Monday to discuss ways to work together in the future.

The two former rivals met in Obama’s transition headquarters in Chicago. Obama said before the meeting that he and McCain planned “a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country, and also to offer thanks to Senator McCain for the outstanding service he’s already rendered.”

Obama and McCain sat together for a brief picture-taking moment with reporters, along with Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s incoming White House chief of staff, and South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, McCain’s close friend.

Obama and McCain were heard briefly discussing football, and Obama cracked that “the national press is tame compared to the Chicago press.”

When asked if he planned to help the Obama administration, McCain replied, “Obviously.”

Obama and McCain clashed bitterly during the fall campaign over taxes, the Iraq War, and ways to fix the ailing economy. Things got ugly at times, with McCain running ads comparing Obama to celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton and raising questions about his rival’s distant relationship with a 1960s-era radical, William Ayers.

Obama’s campaign labelled the 72-year old McCain “erratic” and ran a campaign ad falsely suggesting that McCain and Rush Limbaugh shared similar anti-immigration views.

McCain delivered a gracious concession speech on election night, paying tribute to Obama’s historic ascendancy as the country’s first black president. The two agreed that night to meet after the election when McCain called Obama to concede defeat.

Meanwhile, Obama said in his first television interview since his historic election that Americans shouldn’t worry about the growing federal deficit for the next couple of years and also urged help for the auto industry.

While investors are still riding a rollercoaster on Wall Street, Obama told CBS’ “60 Minutes” in an interview broadcast Sunday that the economy would have deteriorated even more without the $700 billion bank bailout. Re-regulation is a legislative priority, he said, not to crush “the entrepreneurial spirit and risk-taking of American capitalism” but to “restore a sense of balance.”

He also said, “We shouldn’t worry about the deficit next year or even the year after. … The most important thing is that we avoid a deepening recession.”

Obama said he has spent the days since the election planning to stabilize the economy, restore consumer confidence, create jobs and get sound health care and energy policies through Congress.

“There’s no doubt that we have not been able yet to reset the confidence in the financial markets and in the consumer markets and among businesses that allow the economy to move forward in a strong way,” Obama said. “And my job as president is going to be to make sure that we restore that confidence.”

While he said “we have the tools,” the president-elect said not enough has been done to address bank foreclosures and distressed homeowners.

“We’ve gotta set up a negotiation between banks and borrowers so that people can stay in their homes,” Obama said. “That is going to have an impact on the economy as a whole. And, you know, one thing I’m determined is that if we don’t have a clear, focused program for homeowners by the time I take office, we will after I take office.”

Obama credited Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson for trying to remedy “an unprecedented crisis” the country hasn’t seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

A member of the transition team works with Paulson daily, Obama said, getting the needed background and sometimes offering approaches to address the economic meltdown.

Obama also acknowledged meeting with former Democratic rival Senator Hillary Clinton last week, but refused to say whether she was being considered for secretary of state, as has been widely reported. He also said the Republican party will be represented in his cabinet.

In the CBS interview, Obama also said that as soon as he takes office he will work with his security team and the military to draw down U.S. troops in Iraq, shore up Afghanistan and “stamp out al-Qaida once and for all.”

Obama confirmed reports that he intends to close the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, and “make sure we don’t torture” as “part and parcel of an effort to regain America’s moral stature in the world.”

Obama also said he plans to put al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in the crosshairs.

“I think capturing or killing bin Laden is a critical aspect of stamping out al-Qaida,” Obama said. “He is not just a symbol, he’s also the operational leader of an organization that is planning attacks against U.S. targets.”

Courtesy of:  http://ca.news.yahoo.com

Richard Brennan
Ottawa Bureau

OTTAWA–The New Democrats are already devising their plan of attack for the GTA in the next federal election.

Disappointed with the party’s poor showing in the area in last month’s election, NDP Leader Jack Layton is sending his top aide to establish a toehold in hopes of capturing some of the 44 ridings.

Bob Gallagher, 56, chief of staff for the past 3 1/2 years, is moving to Toronto, where he will be Layton’s principal secretary for the GTA.

“Jack and I have talked about the results we got in the last election and how we really need to build here in Toronto,” Gallagher told the Star

The New Democrats lost one of three Toronto seats it had held, leaving just Layton and his wife Olivia Chow. The party was shut out in the rest of the GTA.

It was a particular blow to the NDP when Peggy Nash lost Parkdale-High Park to Gerard Kennedy, a former federal Liberal leadership candidate. “I believe that with Bob leading our efforts in building our outreach and capacities in this vital urban area with 44 seats, we will establish the growth we need for this next stage of our project and our commitment to Canadians,” Layton said in a note the NDP caucus.

The party won 37 seats in the October election, seven more than it had held, breaking through in several areas across the country, including Alberta, but not the GTA.

“This is a bit of a Liberal bunker here. I do think there’s a completely different kind of approach that you need in Toronto than in much of the rest of the country,” Gallagher said, adding he and Layton agreed even before the election that the party needed to put more emphasis on the GTA but “I think the election has underscored the fact that we need to have more presence here.”

Gallagher said that, as leader, Layton can’t spend a great deal of his time in Toronto, so it requires a senior person to do the legwork needed to get voters thinking about the New Democrats.

Courtesy of:  http://www.thestar.com