NASA leaders sign power-sharing deal

 
NASA leaders signing power sharing deal.

Nairobi, Kenya: National Super Alliance leaders have signed power-sharing deal that will see them forge a common front against Jubilee Party in forthcoming poll.

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.