Kenya's opposition defers swearing-in of leaders

NAIROBI, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's opposition coalition National Super Alliance (NASA) on Sunday postponed its planned swearing-in of its leaders, but vowed to step up resistance against President Uhuru Kenyatta's government.

NASA had planned to hold the ceremony on Tuesday, the day the East African nation would be celebrating Independence Day, and swear in leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka as president and deputy president respectively.

"Following extensive internal consultations and engagements with a wide range of national and international interlocutors, the NASA leadership wishes to advise supporters and the general public that the swearing in of Odinga and his deputy Musyoka as president and deputy president and the launch of the People's Assembly scheduled for Dec. 12 has been postponed to a later date," Musalia Mudavadi, NASA co-principal said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

"We wish to reiterate that any national dialogue must have electoral justice on the agenda. We are not interested in sharing illegitimate dictatorial power," said Mudavadi.

The NASA leader assured its supporters that the coalition would continue to fight for electoral justice by stepping up resistance against Kenyatta's government.

Mudavadi told supporters that they would soon be announcing a new date for the swearing in of their leaders and the launch of the People's Assembly, as well as a more vigorous and prolonged resistance in the coming days.

There has been a lot of pressure especially from Kenya's western allies for NASA to stop the swearing in and focus on dialogue with Kenyatta.

On Friday, several religious and business leaders and ambassadors led by those from the U.S. and UK met NASA leaders in Nairobi and asked them to consider their stand as they push for dialogue with Kenyatta.

Odinga had, however, remained adamant that the ceremony would go on as Kenyatta on Saturday declared that he would not hold any dialogue. Enditem