Mudavadi shocked as Raila side skips meeting

By Peter Orengo and Vitalis Kimutai

Orange Democratic Movement has filed its registration documents, including the party constitution making the presidential ticket the entitlement of the party leader, but with a notice to amend.

But this was not the only depressing news for Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, who wants the amendments because it makes the presidential ticket the entitlement of the party leader, Raila Odinga.

Orange Democratic Movement Secretary General Anyang’ Nyong’o submitting party compliance documents for registration to the Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u (left), in Nairobi on Tuesday. [Photo: Govedi Asutsa/Standard].

This is because a meeting of the legal committee picked by both sides of the presidential ticket race to work out the necessary amendments in the party rules and constitution failed to take off in the afternoon after the Prime Minister’s side kept off, leading to a lack of quorum.

Even after failing to meet over Easter as directed by the National Executive Committee last week, yesterday only three members – Mweresa Eboso, Dan Ameyo and Judy Pareno – who are perceived in ODM to be sympathetic to Mudavadi, showed up.

Those who kept off included the Prime Minister’s advisor on Coalition Affairs Paul Mwangi, ODM executive director Janet Ong’era, Tom Ojwang’, Joseph Kiangoi, and Mugambi Imanyara, who is the chairman, and reportedly convened the meeting yesterday after the ODM secretariat appeared reluctant to do so.

“The amendments are ready.  We need to sit down and confirm them, but it is clear one side appeared determined to file the old constitution then kill the proposed changes by delaying the convening of the committee,’’ said a member of the legal team allied to Mudavadi.

He added: “We stayed in Nairobi over Easter as directed by NEC, but no one convened the meeting. When we demanded we meet today we were told Nairobi Club is overbooked and it would not be possible. We then suggested we meet at Orange House and that is when the chairman called the meeting.’’

He went on: “But he (Imanyara) did not attend. We were just three of us waiting for two hours after which we gave up because there was no quorum,’’ said a member of the team on condition of anonymity so as not to be seen to be fanning the bad situation.

Attention would now turn to Mudavadi, who insists the controversial clause should have been changed before filing of registration documents with the Registrar of Political Parties.

Mudavadi, who is Raila’s deputy both in the Grand Coalition Cabinet and ODM, has argued that the amendment has to be done for the party to look democratic and to ensure fair competition.