By Mwaniki Munuhe
Presidential hopefuls in the so-called G7 Alliance are in a scramble to put their houses in order ahead of a possible pre-election coalition deal.
The coalition will include political parties that are not part of the informal group.
Experts representing several of the G7 Alliance and allied parties are working to create a vehicle under which like-minded leaders will unite ahead of the 2013 General Election. The new party, to be known as the Alliance National Coalition (ANC), could be ready for use as soon as Friday next week. This development supports earlier reports that the G7 had abandoned the idea of testing the waters separately in the first round in favour of a united assault (The Standard On Sunday, June 24).
We can report that that the team of technocrats working to set up the new party is almost finished with the task. A source in the team says a meeting planned for tomorrow will see them agree on the last few details.
“The party is ready,” said our source, a member of the committee setting up the ANC. “The structures are already in place. The only (unresolved) issue is the (question of a party) symbol and colour, which we will discuss on Monday.”
The technocrats working on ANC includes representatives from The National Alliance, New Ford- Kenya, Wiper Democratic Movement, Alliance Party of Kenya, and Party of Action. These parties are linked to presidential aspirants Uhuru Kenyatta, Eugene Wamalwa, Kalonzo Musyoka, and Raphael Tuju.
APK leader, Kiraitu Murungi, says his party, the ‘Bus’, is open to Uhuru or Kalonzo at the helm, but may look to Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, or another candidate if neither comes on board in the next three or so weeks.
United Democratic Forum, which is associated with Mudavadi, has expressed interest in having a representative on the team working on ANC.
We could not establish if Ruto’s United Republican Party, which initially snubbed overtures related to this deal, plans to get involved.
The creation of a vehicle for a pre-election deal is expected to spur G7 leaders and others they are courting to speed up efforts to consolidate support. But the scramble to deliver united voting blocs to the negotiating table come as ODM – the G7’s strongest opponent – is seen to be propping up rivals to some G7 leaders in Western, Central and Eastern Kenya.
Ruffled feathers
