ODM restructures party organs for 2017 general elections

NAIROBI: The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has moved to restructure party organs and the nomination rules ahead of 2017 general elections.

In the new structure unveiled Wednesday by ODM Executive Director Oduor Ong'wen, the Orange party shall have the National Party whose highest decision-making organ is the National Delegates Convention (NDC).

"The second tier will be the County Party office whose highest decision making organ shall be the County Delegates Conference," said Ong’wen.

And to entrench the principle of subsidiarity, the ODM's basic unit shall be the Polling Station where members shall elect the Polling Station Steering Committee (PSSC).

Above the Polling Station, there shall be the Sub-Branch at the Ward Level which will be managed and coordinated by the Sub-Branch Executive Committee (SBEC).

The changes are in line with the recommendations of the Fred Adhuok led disciplinary committee that was charged with the responsibility of looking at the loopholes in the secretariat and the management of the party.

The disciplinary committee recommended a clear chain of command as a way of addressing some of the management and disciplinary issues it has experienced.

The report had also indicated that the rot within ODM stemmed after the 2007 polls and failure to implement the recommendations will cost the party further in 2017 polls.

Apart from restructure, the team also recommended several changes at Orange House touching on staff and administration, among others.

The report is to be implemented in one and a half years, also contained findings on alleged interference of non-party members in party affairs.

According to the new structure, the ODM Branch, managed by the Branch Executive Committee (BEC) shall be at the Sub-County or Constituency level with all branches being linked directly with the National Executive Council (NEC) through the National Secretariat.

At the County level, the branches shall hold an annual County Delegates Conference which shall among other agenda, elect a County Coordinating Committee (CEC).

Wednesday, Ong’wen who took over from the former Executive Director embattled Magerer Langat clarified that to address historical inequalities, inherent in the current NDC composition, the party has restructured the composition of the National Delegates Convention to reflect the party strength across the country.

He stated that in order to respond to emerging situations in a timely manner, a Central Committee of the National Executive Committee (NEC) has been established.

The central committee shall comprise of the Party Leader, the two Deputies, the National Chairman, the Secretary General, the National Treasurer, the National Organizing Secretary, the Secretary for Women Affairs, the Secretary for Youth Affairs, and the Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs.

And in what appears to be a cure of the cancerous nomination disease that has always almost brought the party to its knees, the National Elections Board shall soon convene to announce a comprehensive programme for grassroots elections.

The party has also concluded the revision of its Elections and Nominations Rules to accord to the new party architecture and to make it elections and nominations more democratic, transparent, predictable, fair and credible.