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{
    "id": 89172,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/89172/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 345,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Foreign Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Midiwo asked about the resolution of the AU. This is also part of what Mr. Kioni asked. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to inform the House that we have to comply without exception. By Article 23 of the Constitutive Act, members states have to comply with the decisions and policies of the African Union. The highest organ of the African Union (AU) is the Summit. It is the Summit that says the Heads of State and Government that made the decision for the AU Members States not to comply with the issue of President Bashir. Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Midiwo also asked who signed the letter and I think that question is just rhetorical. A letter inviting a Head of State can only be signed by a fellow Head of State. That is the peer. So the letters were generated from the committee and they were signed by our Head of State inviting his colleagues; Heads of States. In fact, regarding the invitation to the President of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, there was debate as to whether that letter should be signed by the Prime Minister or the Vice President, but I advised and I think rightly so, that we are inviting President Bashir as a Head of State and also as a party to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. So Salva Kiir was also invited as a party to the CPA and Kenya as a guarantor, we were obligated to invite both of them and the President signed both letters as is expected. But as it turned out, their protocol could not allow both of them to leave the country. This happens in many other countries. If you may recall, many times President Mandela had to swear in Buthelezi to act as a president because both him and his vice president were going out. Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Midiwo also asked about the wider implications and whether the visit by President Bashir visit has a bearing on post election violence. I have said it over and over that the Government is co-operating fully with the process of the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICC) on post-election violence. A committee chaired by Prof. Saitoti, myself, Mr. Orengo, Mr. Kingi and one or two other colleagues has been dealing with the issues. I know that there is progress and and nobody has impeded the ICC from carrying out its duties. The issue of President Bashir has absolutely nothing to do with our post election violence. It must be noted that the same AU whose resolution we are obeying and respecting is the one that sent here the eminent persons in the person of Koffi Annan, Ben Mkapa and Graca Machel that led us down the path up to the phenomenal event that we had in Uhuru Park the other day. So we cannot possibly turn away and say we value the AU for sending the eminent persons here and we do not agree with them on the issue of President Bashir. This will be double standards. I think we have to respect the AU because it is the core of our diplomacy and comfort in this region and sub-region. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on the issue of---"
}