Sources say Raila Odinga asked county chairpersons to push for acclamation method of voting

ODM leader Raila Odinga

By JAMES MBAKA

NAIROBI, KENYA: ODM leader Raila Odinga Tuesday met 47 county chairpersons to forestall divisions over the proposed new leadership structure even as cracks widened on the method of election and delegates register.

Raila met the county party chiefs at Jaramogi Odinga Foundation offices located at Upper Hill, Nairobi where he reportedly struck a deal with them on the expanded new leadership structure.

A county chairman who attended the meeting old The Standard that they agreed to implore delegates to adopt the constitutional amendments.

“We agreed that it was imperative to create more positions to meet constitutional requirements while at the same time including some important party members,” he said.

It also emerged that the party leader was toying with the idea of pushing for the amendment to the constitution to allow acclamation method as opposed to the secret ballot system at the floor of the venue of the elections.

Some 2,854 delegates converge in Nairobi on Friday for the party elections slated for Saturday at the Kasarani gymnasium. It is feared that acclamation method could simply see unpopular aspirants sail to power amid fears that there were plans to ferry goons to amplify and adopt the amendments at Kasarani.

In a thinly veiled indication of what could have transpired in the four-hour meeting, Nairobi ODM chairman George Aladwa, who addressed the Press alongside former Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo, hinted that the delegates will have an opportunity to decide what system they will adopt during voting and not necessarily the secret ballot.

The current party constitution stipulates that the delegates will use secret ballot to elect officials.

 “ODM is a club and has its members with Raila as the captain. We will listen to his voice as to who he wants to work within the party, those who feel uncomfortable can walk out with their secret ballots,” said Aladwa.

He said the delegates will receive direction from the party leader before the kick-off of the voting process.

“We will follow what the party leader will tell us, his voice will give direction on who gets what position. He is the head and our father, he decides who he wants to work with because this his party,” Aladwa said.