Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-01-16-Speech-3-236"
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"en.20080116.12.3-236"2
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".
Mr President, as has already been said, Kenya has been an important example of democracy and stability in the region since 2002. In recent years, the country has made great political and economic strides. The Kenyan elections have shown that the vast majority of Kenyans prefer democracy to dictatorship. They have shown that they have more faith in elected representatives than in the military. Nevertheless, these alarming outbursts of violence have occurred, and there is now a humanitarian crisis that has already left hundreds dead and more than 250 000 refugees. This will not be without consequences for the country’s economic situation.
What is to be done? It is important for the European Union to offer its full support to the panel of ‘eminent African personalities’ appointed by the African Union and headed by Kofi Annan. If the past can teach us one thing, it is that we must not think that we – Europe – can solve Africa’s problems. African problems require African solutions, and I welcome the European Commission’s support for this.
Mr President, our group fully supports the resolution. I do have one more thing to get off my chest, however: something that our group considers extremely regrettable. This is that, one day after the elections – that is, at a time when the outcome had been decided and, as the Commissioner has said, irregularities had already abounded – the European Commission transferred more than 40 million euros to the government in budget aid. It did not even await the findings of our own observation team – which, incidentally, were published just three days later.
This political decision cannot be justified on the technicality that the payment had already been delayed once, until after the elections, and that it was just the third in a series of payments. This payment could have and should have been deferred. This was an extremely unfortunate decision, all the more so because the Member States themselves had already suspended their aid. This must not happen again."@en1
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