By Biketi Kikechi
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi is unhappy with his party leader Raila Odinga because he believes he is about to unfairly get automatic presidential ticket as he himself is locked out.
His concern arises from the fact that during Monday Orange Democratic Movement National Executive Committee meeting Lands Minister James Orengo spilt the beans by pointing out a clause that he argued makes Raila the presidential candidate without contest.
What was even more startling to the Mudavadi team in the talks was the revelation by ODM executive officer Janet OngÂfera during the heated exchange that the clause in question was inserted in the constitution as an anti-William Ruto strategy.
OngÂfera, a source in the meeting reveals, told the meeting as MudavadiÂfs side protested leading to the stalemate on proposed election rules, the clause has not been ratified and was sneaked in when it became obvious Ruto wanted to topple Raila at the helm of ODM.
What incensed MudavadiÂfs side even more, as expressed in the sentiments raised by lawyer Mweresa Eboso at the Monday meeting, was the fact that the clause has neither been discussed nor ratified by the National Delegates Conference. ODM Secretary General AnyangÂf NyongÂfo announces to the Press that the National Executive Committee had failed to resolve the stalemate between Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi teams. [Photo: File/Standard]
" Mudavadi is unhappy with the PM. He believes he is being set up for humiliation, and worse still, that a clause which was to be used against Ruto when he fell out with Raila is now being turned against him,ÂfÂf revealed a high-placed source familiar with the intensifying rivalry between the two leaders.
The clause in question, whose existence has not been secret, but which the Mudavadi side expected would be removed because it was just placed there to block Ruto when he looked like he was going to topple Raila in 2008, decrees that the party leader shall be the presidential candidate.
The clause in question is Article Six of the ODM constitution, and was sneaked in shortly before the party held its NDC in Bomas in 2008, at Bomas of Kenya.
Orengo reportedly shot up and cited this Article, which declares that the party leader should be the automatic presidential nominee.
Sources told The Standard that Eboso who is also a member of the legal team that drew the proposals on new election rules, challenged OrengoÂfs position and told the meeting that the party leader could only become the automatic presidential candidate under the old constitution.
