PNU, ODM near deal on oversight team chair

By Athman Amran and Augustine Oduor

An attempt to break the deadlock between ODM and PNU over who should chair the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) failed yet again.

The Standard on Saturday can however reveal that there is a deal in the making and the committee is likely to dispense with the matter in today’s meeting.

There is hope the matter could be resolved today if the parties agree to replace Mandera Central MP Mohammed Abdikadir as the Parliamentary Committee on Administration of Justice, with Vice-Chairman Ababu Namwamba.

The deal is likely to cool tempers that were rising between President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity and the Prime Minister’s Orange Democratic Movement and ease the way for several Bills that will come before the House to operationalise the new constitution.

After having been outwitted by PNU on Thursday when CIOC elected Abdikadir, the Prime Minister’s party now seeks to control the Parliamentary committee on Legal Affairs and Administration of Justice.

It is expected that the appointment of Namwamba will then pave way for Abdikadir’s endorsement as the chairman of the CIOC.

Yesterday’s meeting, which was called by Abdikadir, dragged on for four hours only for the 27-member committee to come out without a solution.

ODM, while lobbying for Namwamba, has been protesting the election of Abdikadir on Wednesday. The party boycotted the elections, with threats to disrupt the operations of the committee.

But it also emerged yesterday the ODM team was still divided on the choice of Namwamba for the position. Sources at the meeting told The Standard On Saturday some ODM members wanted to replace Namwamba with Kisumu Town West MP John Olago-Aluoch.

Others proposed Abdikadir be replaced with Githunguri MP, Njoroge Baiya from rival PNU.

ODM MPs boycotted the CIOC proceedings on Wednesday, when the committee was expected to have appointed the chairman and the deputy chairman.

The PNU team, however, proceeded to appoint Abdikadir and nominated MP Millie Odhiambo in absentia.

They, however, returned to the proceedings with fresh demands and after lengthy arguments, and demanded that Abdikadir relinquishes one of the two positions.

A source said Gichugu MP Martha Karua and Ekwee Ethuro (Turkana Central) accused ODM of playing games with an important issue.

"They (ODM) were not coming out clearly. But the matter was resolved immediately after they said what they wanted because Abdikadir immediately resigned," said an MP.

It was only then that the two sides agreed to meet this morning, when the Committee on Justice and legal affairs will endorse Namwamba as the chairman before the CIOC reconvenes.

ODM has argued constitution making is an important exercise that cannot be left in the hands of PNU alone.

The MPs pushed to be given the position earlier held by Abdikadir, because issues that will not be resolved by the oversight committee will have to be referred to the Committee on Justice and legal affairs.

The ODM group had demanded the postponement of the meeting last Wednesday, after discovering that they were numerically disadvantaged because four of their members were absent.

"We had substantial and constructive discussions. There is no cause for alarm. We will move together," Abdikadir said, after the meeting yesterday.

Yesterday, the Mandera Central MP said the committee would meet today to try to break the deadlock, which has threatened to disrupt the operations of the team that will see the implementation of the new Constitution.

Namwamba said there was no reason for anxiety. "We have had excellent discussions. We will come up with the chairman tomorrow (today)," Namwamba said.

The two declined to reveal the details of the meeting with a member, Bahari MP Benjamin Gunda, saying the meeting had been cordial.

"We agreed that only Abdikadir and Namwamba should talk the Press," said Gunda.