Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
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Kenya Vice President: multiparty democracy to continue
Mr. Musyoka said that political parties would continue to operate independently while pursuing their visions as per their individual party manifestoes.
Noting that the grand coalition initiative was the first one in Africa, Mr. Musyoka said that Kenyans have a lot to learn from success stories of advanced democracies with similar arrangements.
The Vice President made the remarks at his Jogoo House Office on 29 April when he received NIMD Executive Director Roel von Meijenfeldt who paid him a courtesy call.
Mr. Musyoka said Kenyans had learnt a lot from the recent post elections crisis and expressed confidence that the country would emerge even stronger as one of the fastest growing economies among developing nations.
He added that President Mwai Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and himself including other political leaders had embarked on forging a common front towards national healing and reconciliation.
The Vice President dismissed those regarding his move to form a coalition with Party of National Unity (PNU) after the polls as opportunism, saying that the decision to enter into a coalition had been reached by his ODM-Kenya party that was prepared to enter into such an arrangement if it did not win the elections.
Mr. Musyoka said grand coalition parties would harmonize common agendas in their manifestoes with a view of serving Kenyans better, saying individual parties had great vision for the future of the country.
"In our ODM-Kenya party Manifesto we planned to introduce a 24 hour economy, with the new Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development, I am optimistic that the vision would become a reality", he added.
Mr. von Meijenfeldt commended Kenya for embracing the spirit of multi-party democracy, saying his organization has enjoyed healthy relationship with political parties in Kenya.
He regretted the post election crisis that was witnessed in the country, describing Kenya as one of the most dynamic countries in the region with a promising socio-economic and political future.
