President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in Nairobi said that the insistence on trial of Uhuru Kenyatta by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague (ICC) would further compound the political crisis which had already been doused in Kenya.
Jonathan, who told the Joint session of the Kenyan Parliament on the sidelines of his state visit to that country, that International Organisations were created to resolve problems and not to compound them, observed that the ICC should not be seen as a body to derail the progress made in the country.
“I belief that any law whether local or international as well as treaties and conventions should be seen to solve human problems and not to compound them,’’ he said.
The trial of Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto, over alleged crimes against humanity committed before their elections had generated furore in that country leading to a decision by the Kenyan Parliament that the country should quit the ICC.
I believe I share the sentiments of the government and people of Kenya when I say that we in Nigeria do not embrace democracy and the rule of law in response to external pressure or demand.We have embraced democracy and its underpinnings such as free, fair, credible and transparent election; rule of law; respect for human and peoples’ rights, because they are the right things to do and they are good for us.
“We do not seek the validation or endorsement of our democracy outside the collective will of our people, the citizens and electorates of our respective countries.
“Democracy is not a one-size-fits-all system; rather it is a dynamic political system which must be operated within the particular context it finds itself,’’ he said.-thisdaylive.com
