KENYYA/BELGIUM: Kenyans pessimistic about Zimbabwe power-sharing deal, EU says ready to help if democracy restored

Record ID: 361772

  • Title: KENYYA/BELGIUM: Kenyans pessimistic about Zimbabwe power-sharing deal, EU says ready to help if democracy restored
  • Date: 16th September 2008
  • Summary: (W3) NAIROBI, KENYA (SEPTEMBER 15, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NAIROBI STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE NDIRANGU, NAIROBI RESIDENT, SAYING: "I don't think the Zimbabwe coalition is going to work given Mugabe's way of leadership. He is a man who likes having his way and with the powers of being the president and chairing the cabinet, I don't see him giving Tsvangirai an
  • Embargoed: 1st October 2008 13:00
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  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVADQV11UBY7021T8X7H6NAANOYB
  • Story Text: As Zimbabwe rivals sign a power-sharing deal, Kenyans say they are pessimistic about the deal coming only months after their leaders entered a similar pact. The European Union says it is ready to help the new government if it takes measures to restore democracy and the rule of law.
    Kenyans said they were pessimistic about the success of a power-sharing deal signed on Monday (September 15) between Zimbabwe's rival political parties.
    The landmark deal means President Robert Mugabe will cede some of his powers for the first time in nearly three decades of iron rule.
    Under the deal, main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will become prime minister and chair a council of ministers supervising the cabinet.

    "I don't think the Zimbabwe coalition is going to work given Mugabe's way of leadership. He is a man who likes having his way and with the powers of being the president and chairing the cabinet, I don't see him giving Tsvangirai any slightest opportunity to go his way. I don't see that coalition working," said Mike Ndirangu, who lives in Nairobi.
    Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga also signed a power-sharing agreement in February this year to end a post-election crisis that left 1,000 people dead.
    What followed was a period of infighting between both sides that is still a source of tension almost 7 months on.
    Some Kenyans see coalition governments in Africa setting a dangerous trend.

    "Many corrupt leaders of Africa who don't believe in proper winning the elections will have this as a a flagship. They rig the elections, after rigging the elections they call on the international community to come and mediate upon them, so that the loser may take it all. So, it is to me starting a very bad precedent in our continent," Bob Amimo, a resident of Nairobi, told Reuters.
    Zimbabweans hope the agreement will be a first step in helping to rescue the once prosperous nation from economic collapse. Inflation has rocketed to over 11 million percent and millions have fled to neighbouring southern African countries.
    Western countries are still keen to see how the deal works in practice but the European Union said on Monday it stood ready to bring aid to Zimbabwe if the new government took measures to restore democracy and the rule of law.
    Arriving in Brussels for a meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband welcomed the agreement but said its details would be studied carefully.
    ''From our point of view, the absolute imperative is obviously the welfare of the Zimbabwean people. Very large numbers are dependant on food aid and we're committed to continuing that humanitarian aid. Further engagement of the international community with the new government of Zimbabwe will obviously depend on the details of its program, the details of its composition and the actions that it takes to bring change in Zimbabwe and to respect the democratic will of the people of Zimbabwe,''Miliband said.
    Earlier in the morning, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the European Union had put a decision to extend sanctions against Zimbabwe on hold.
    Existing EU sanctions on Zimbabwe include an arms embargo, visa bans and asset freezes on 168 senior officials including Mugabe, as well as a few companies. The bloc has also frozen development aid but still provides humanitarian aid.
    Before last week's power-sharing deal, the EU had planned to add more names to a list of Zimbabwean officials whose assets are frozen and who are banned from travelling to Europe.
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