Azimio announces new date for return of mass protests
Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party has announced a return of the anti-government protests in May, after accusing the government of sabotaging the bipartisan talks.
Azimio National Executive Council chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said the protests will resume on Tuesday, May 2, 2013.
"We have set the date on a Tuesday to excuse workers who shall be celebrating Labour Day on Monday, May 1," Mr Oparanya told Nation.
Oparanya says that lack of seriousness from the government side in the bipartisan talks has prompted the return of the protests, which will run concurrently with the talks.
Azimio, Kenya Kwanza talks
In the inaugural meeting of the bipartisan talks committees, Azimio and Kenya Kwanza committee members failed to agree on the inclusion of some members in the two teams.
Azimio members opposed the inclusion of Eldas MP Adan Keynan while the Kenya Kwanza team wants Pokot South MP David Pkosing kicked out of the Azimio team.
Azimio argued that Keynan is a member of Jubilee party which is a constituent party of Azimio, while Kenya Kwanza said that P'Kosing, who was elected on a KUP ticket, is a Kenya Kwanza member since his party leader John Lonyangapuo signed a post-election pact with Kenya Kwanza.
Azimio leadership had threatened to pull out of the talks unless the membership and scope were widened.
Azimio wants the negotiations to revolve around recruitment of the national polls team, opening and audit of the IEBC servers, cost of living and reinstatement of election commissioners who were kicked out after the last General Election.
