NAIROBI: A proposal to have CORD affiliate parties field joint candidates has exposed cracks within the coalition and is now threatening to derail registration of the outfit as a party.
Sharp differences have emerged even within the constituent parties as leaders read from different scripts.
ODM leaders have said the party will reject the registration of CORD should their Ford Kenya and Wiper partners refuse to field joint candidates for all elective positions.
Ford Kenya Secretary General Eseli Simiyu (MP, Tongaren) differed with his deputy party leader, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, over his resistance to joint nominations, terming it selfish.
Kalonzo Musyoka's Wiper had indicated that the party would field candidates for all seats save for the presidency and the Nairobi governor's seat, where CORD would jointly pick candidates.
Yesterday, ODM chairman John Mbadi, Director of Elections Junet Mohammed and Mr Simiyu said it would be in the interests of the coalition to field candidates jointly so as to beat Jubilee to the majority of seats.
The leaders said the coalition lost some seats in the 2013 polls due to confusion occasioned by fielding multiple candidates that resulted in infighting during campaigns.
"As ODM, our stand is that it would be better if we fielded one candidate so that we do not campaign against each other as that will interfere with our cohesion," said Mr Mbadi.
Mr Mohammed said ODM would not allow a situation where CORD was registered as a political party only for the purpose of fielding a presidential candidate.
He warned if CORD affiliate parties insisted on individually fielding candidates for other seats, ODM would not cede ground in any area where it was popular, irrespective of who was fielded by other parties.
"If CORD as a party is not going to have candidates for all seats, let it remain a coalition. And if all affiliate parties field candidates, let it be known that ODM will not cede ground in its strongholds," Mohammed added.
He said it was absurd that the coalition had not learnt from its mistakes in the 2013 polls.
"It seems CORD did not learn anything from the 2013 elections in terms of confusion created when affiliate parties fielded candidates across the country," said Mohammed.
He said the Orange party would only negotiate certain seats if the affiliate parties held joint nominations to fill CORD candidates.
Simiyu shared similar sentiments, stating that Ford Kenya had not resolved to field candidates across the country. He described Dr Khalwale's stand as his own opinion.
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"If we want the presidency, we must have the majority in Parliament and one way of ensuring this is to field one candidate in every constituency. If we field too many, we stand a chance of splitting CORD's vote and that will work in favour of Jubilee," said Simiyu.
"As a party, we have not talked about nominations. Sometimes people look at self-interest; they don't look at the interests of all."
He said the coalition should move fast to craft a formula that will work for all so that no one feels disadvantaged.
But Khalwale said that those against individual parties fielding candidates were keen on imposing leaders on the people.
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