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Smashing the fruit bowl

The people's rejection of the president's draft constitution has killed the Rainbow coalition

To make sense of his defeat in the constitutional referendum on 21 November, President Mwai Kibaki must choose between crushing his opponents or coopting them. The referendum campaign sharpened old political and ethnic grudges between the 'Yes' campaigners (symbolised by a Banana) and the 'Noes' (an Orange). The Orange victory prompted Kibaki to sack his entire cabinet and prorogue parliament on 25 November; the Orange campaigners, led by Raila Odinga, called for new national elections (AC Vol 46 Nos 21 & 23)....

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Smashing the fruit bowl

The people's rejection of the president's draft constitution has killed the Rainbow coalition

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