Kenya has affirmed that the political quagmire which resulted in the dissolution of the cabinet would not affect the country's effective participation at this month's World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial talks.

Kenya, the leading voice among the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States, whose dissatisfaction with the 2003 ministerial talks in Cancun, Mexico led to a stalemate, said it would not be bulldozed into agreeing to positions which would compromise its development agenda.

Kenyan Permanent Secretary for Trade and Industry David Nalo said here Thursday that the country's position would not be compromised by the absence of former trade minister Mukhisa Kituyi who was among President Mwai Kibaki's 28-member cabinet.

"It is important to ensure that development is sustained. We are in consultations with other ministries to make sure the preferred treatment we get from regional markets is not lost," said Nalo.

President Kibaki dissolved the cabinet after a defeat in a national referendum last week and promised to form a new one in two weeks but rival political parties have dismissed the talks and put up strict conditions for negotiations on a new cabinet.

Kituyi has been leading the African group in the trade negotiations aimed at further liberalizing international trade and introducing new angles to the talks, including opening up borders for trade in services, an issue which has been opposed by the African team.

Nalo said the Kenyan delegation to the talks will ensure that the ministerial talks to be held in Hong Kong on December 13-18 will not be affected by the dissolution of the cabinet.

The Kenyan delegation, he said, would not agree to positions that will compromise the country's development agenda.

Analysts said the hardline stance taken by the African nations ahead of the Hong Kong talks would most likely lead to another deadlock.

Kenya will not agree to tariff reductions as demanded by the WTO because of its membership of the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Markets for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) whose tariff regimes are legally binding.

The 5th ministerial conference talks in Cancun, Mexico collapsed after developing countries walked out of the talks.

The success of the Hong Kong talks lies on the European Union and the United States' ability to make further concessions but the two have insisted they will not further reduce subsidies to farmers, a matter developing countries hold in contention.

Nalo who addressed a media meeting ahead of the Hong Kong talks, said the Kenyan delegation will ensure that there is consistency in the negotiations that address the development aspirations of the country.

Kenya has put in place technical teams to hammer the country's standpoint, reinforcing the position taken by Kituyi during informal meetings prepared to give guidance to negotiations ahead of the Hong Kong ministerial meeting, Nalo said.

Meanwhile, Elijah Manyara, a senior director in the Kenyan Department of External Trade, warned that the talks could collapse unless the rich countries address issues affecting developing nations.

Kenya Coalition on Global Action Against Poverty said the delegation must ensure the right of Kenya to food security, freedom from dumping goods into the market and the negative effects of subsidies.

The civil society told Nalo to ensure they did not commit themselves to cuts in public investment and farm inputs, including seeds and fertilizers, especially at a time when developed countries continued to subsidize their farmers.

The lofty subsidies granted to the European farmers usually drives down production costs in rich countries, making it difficult for Kenyan farmers to export because the international market prices remain subdued.

The African civil society says should governments agree to the demands, infant industries are likely to lose their protection from competitors from developed countries.

They also want the governments to retain controls and restrictions in crucial sectors like cotton, sugar, maize, diary as well as beef, which are under threat from cheap imports.

They want protection from harmful liberalization of basic social services, and protection against multinationals whose agenda is profit-driven.

Source: Xinhua