NAIROBI: CHINA THROWS SUPPORT BEHIND KENYA'S DEFERRAL QUEST

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Liu Guangyuan.China has thrown its weight behind Kenya's quest for defferal saying that the ICC must consider peace and stability in Kenya and the entire region. 

China has reiterated its opposition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) case on suspected masterminds of the 2007/08 post election violence.This comes on the eve of a meeting between the Vice Premier Wang Qishan and President Kibaki in Nairobi today.The Chinese embassy in Nairobi on Wednesday claimed ICC’s involvement in the Kenyan case amounts to interference with internal affairs and a threat to peace.
Beijing, which holds the Council’s rotating presidency, has secured an informal meeting of UN Security members in New York where Kenya has presented her case.The US, France and the United Kingdom which also have the veto powers, have rejected the request to defer cases at the ICC arguing that the cases threatened no peace and that violence would only erupt in the opinions of those who do not support the ICC process and that Kenya had a case to answer at the hague based court.Permanent members of the UN Security Council are China, US, United Kingdom, France and Russia.Three of these have openly voiced their opposition for deferral as proposed by Kenya.They also claim that this was not at the interest of majority of Kenyans and that it was also only an opinion by only one party of the coalition government (PNU).
Decisions on substantive matters require nine votes, including the concurring votes of the five permanent members – China, France, Russia, Britain and the US. The other 10 non-permanent members are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Portugal, Brazil, India, South Africa, Colombia, Lebanon, Gabon and Nigeria.China’s ambassador to Kenya to Liu Guangyuan said the ICC investigation must consider overall peace and stability in Africa. The Chinese Vice Premier is also expected to meet Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.Though not confirmed the ICC debate is expected to arise during the meetings.


Kelvin Mwangi,
Nairobi,
17th March,2011