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I didn’t offer Raila PM post,
says Kibaki
Story by JEFF OTIENO
Publication Date: 1/27/2008
President Kibaki has denied that he had offered ODM leader Raila
Odinga the post of prime minister.
The President said such an appointment would be a constitutional
matter.
“Currently, there is no provision in the Kenyan Constitution for
the office of prime minister,” said a statement from the
Presidential Press Service sent to newsrooms.
The President was reacting to remarks by Mr Odinga that he will
never take up the post of prime minister in Mr Kibaki’s government.
The ODM leader was answering a question by journalists on Friday,
as to whether he would take up the post in a Kibaki-led government.
“I have never said I was considering taking up a position of prime
minister under Kibaki,” he said.
The creation of a prime minister’s post has been floated as one of
the options to incorporate Mr Odinga in the government following
an election dispute in which ODM rejected the announcement of Mr
Kibaki as the winner of the presidential election.
Mr Odinga said the only options for discussion were the
resignation of President Kibaki and a re-run of the presidential
election at a later date under a transitional government.
However, the PPS statement described the Odinga story, which
appeared on the front page of the Saturday Nation, as misleading.
It added that President Kibaki was open to dialogue and welcomed
his meeting with Mr Odinga last Thursday, organised by the former
UN secretary general, Mr Kofi Annan, at the Office of the
President.
“The Head of State wishes to see Kenyan leaders give the
initiative by Kofi Annan a chance,” the statement added.
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