Raila Warns International Communities Of A Looming Crisis If They Fail To Fund CORD

Raila Tells International Communities To Fund Political Parties In Africa

ODM leader Raila Odinga on Friday demanded that International Communities fund the Opposition parties in Africa and warned of a looming crisis if they persisted in funding the incumbent governments only. Speaking in the United Kingdom at the London Metropolitan University, Odinga warned Western Countries that they risked a “cold war” if they continued funding Jubilee and ignored the opposition on the other hand. “We must show that we have learnt lessons from history. If the policy of containment against Communism gave us the Cold War, then the policy of containment against China and terrorism will give us the new cold and frozen war. “The whole world will lose for a second time,” Odinga affirmed. The CORD leader argued that the International Community's style of funding the ruling government was unpatriotic and it amounted to sabotaging the National agenda. “The West has tends to devote resources to building the capacities of incumbents and ignored Opposition parties. Showering incumbents with aid and ignoring the Opposition often achieves the undesired effect of encouraging the governing parties to embrace the old ways of corruption, dictatorship and lack of accountability and transparency,” Odinga was quoted by the Standard. Odinga cited examples with the work the Opposition was doing in Kenya by exposing massive government corruption scandals including controversial projects that posed danger to the environment. The former Prime Minister, urged the western countries to support free and fair elections in Kenya and do more to stop projects that could come back to haunt the country. “the continued stay of our soldiers in Somalia, the forceful relocation of refugees from Kenya to Somalia and our growing public debt. These efforts require that the international community must do more, not less, for democracy. The West in particular must show unequivocal support for free and fair elections,” Odinga affirmed. Odinga, who had been invited by the London Metropolitan University to address the place of Opposition in a Hostile Political Environment, congratulated other Opposition parties in Africa for the role they were continuously playing to keep governments in check

credit:kenyans.co.ke