Secrets of NASA final power-sharing deal

The highlights of the deal include proposals for the position of Chief Minister, which, according to Opposition insiders, would go to the NASA ticket aspirant who emerges third in the alliance’s presidential nominations race.PHOTO:COURTESY

National Super Alliance leaders will this morning sign a power-sharing deal that will see them forge a common front in the August 8 elections. It also spells out the formula for sharing top seats in case of victory.

The highlights of the deal include proposals for the position of Chief Minister, which, according to Opposition insiders, would go to the NASA ticket aspirant who emerges third in the alliance’s presidential nominations race.

Sources familiar with the meetings that hammered out the deal revealed the alliance’s line-up will see the winner of the nominations become the presidential flag-bearer and the runner-up his running mate and alliance's choice of Deputy President in case of victory.

The agreement which the NASA co-principals met last night to discuss following fears it had leaked and had caused jitters within some party's key supporters, requires that in victory, a NASA president exercises power of executive decree to create the office of Chief Minister.

The alliance would then seek a constitutional amendment to transform the office of Chief Minister into that of Prime Minister as it was under the Grand Coalition Government between 2008-2013.

NASA's co-principals are Mr Raila Odinga (Orange Democratic Movement). Mr Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper Democratic Movement), Mr Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya) and Mr Musalia Mudavadi (Amani National Congress).

The other posts that NASA is using to cement the alliance's power base are those of Senate Speaker, Senate Majority Leader and Leader of Majority in Parliament.

Sources familiar with the discussions confided that even though the details still remain at proposal stage, the leaders have tentatively agreed on the power-sharing formula but fear a leakage at this stage may expose them to Jubilee's manipulation and attack.

The four principals are expected to sign the coalition agreement today, deposit it with the Registrar of Political Parties and later address a political rally at Jevanjee Gardens to tell their supporters about the contents of the document and way forward.

At the heart of the deal is a formula to ensure that all the four principals will be accommodated in a NASA government should the alliance triumph in the August 8 polls.The agreement provides that the NASA flag-bearer must be the most popular candidate among the four.

 

 

ANC Party Leader Hon Musalia Mudavadi joins Gede, Giriama dancers during his NASA campaigns in Kilifi on Saturday.PHOTO:STANDARD

According to sources who requested not to be named as they are not authorised to talk to the press, the two principals who miss out in the president and deputy president positions will be nominated to parliament to pave way for being named Speaker and Majority Leader, and at later stage, Chief Minister.

After elections, NASA proposes to create a prime minister's position to facilitate more equality in the power sharing formula.

"This is to ensure that should NASA form the government, then at least one of the principals will hold number three position in the new pecking order," said a source

According to ODM Secretary General Agnes Zani who is also a member of the coordinating committee, the document is well polished and will be signed today.

"We finalised the document, the principals will sign it and later have a rally at Jeevanje," explained Zani.

The sources further divulged that the agreement also outlines NASA's guiding values and principles, the alliance's vision and mission and the management of government affairs.

Siaya Senator James Orengo who is a close ally of Raila Odinga confirmed that the talks over the document have been fruitful and a consensus has been reached.

"The talks have been fruitful. We managed to get to a consensus on power sharing structure and we expect the Principals to sign the document at the Okoa Kenya offices," said Orengo.

Orengo who is also NASA's management Committee co-chair remained tight-lipped over the finer details of the alliance's agreement only insisting that the deal will be signed in public.

The Standard also established that the alliance has crafted a framework for getting the presidential flag bearer and has toyed with possible running combinations of Raila and Kalonzo, Raila-Mudavadi, Mudavadi-Kalonzo, Kalonzo-Mudavadi or Kalonzo-Wetangula

Other key highlights of the document is the creation of the National Coordinating Committee, National Joint Nominations Board, county nominations boards among other structures.

The pact also addresses the rules and regulations of nominations which provide for zoning of regions to give member parties exclusive rights in their perceived strongholds.

In areas where parties enjoy equal support, joint nominations will be held while consensus will be employed in some areas.

A number of sources indicated that there was a possibility that NASA will retain the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) lineup in the 2013 general election

The deal was hammered by a 12-member National Coordinating Committee (NCC) bringing together representatives from all the four NASA's affiliate political parties.

The NCC members finalised their work after three weeks and handed the document to the principals on Monday for approval.

Last evening, The Standard learnt that the principals met to iron out issues in the alliance's agreement before its signing. The meeting was supposed to take place at Serena Hotel.

The Standard established there were back and forth arguments over the proposed  agreement, until the principals agreed on the document on Monday.

Multiple sources confirmed that the team came up with a hybrid system of government where a position for the Chief Minister/Prime Minister has been created pending the formation of government to ensure that all the principals are accommodated at the top of country's leadership to avoid fallout.

Sources further intimated that going by the Mass Voter Registration that ended on Sunday and whose final tally was released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) yesterday showed that Jubilee administration is beatable but only when if the NASA co-rincipals stick together.

Apart from the position of the Prime Minister, the 12-member committee also drafted the coalition agreement to allow the four parties share other positions in government with some slots reserved for more parties that chose to work with NASA.

Senators, National Assembly Members, Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) and aspirants invited to launch ceremony  are expected to be seated at 8.30 am at Okoa Kenya offices and later to an inaugural rally at Jeevanje gardens at 12pm.