Disquiet greets timing of ODM delegates meet

By ISAAC ONGIRI

The delayed ODM National Delegates Conference is causing uproar within the party, as aspirants eyeing various positions warn it could scuttle preparation for the General Election.

The party plans to hold its NDC in September in which the presidential nominations would also be held just a few months to the elections.

But some party members argue early national elections would give the party an opportunity to prepare well for elections.

ODM officials led by Prime Minister Raila Odinga brief the Press after a party meeting. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

The party deputy leader Musalia Mudavadi has been campaigning in anticipation he would take on the PM for the party flagship even though the DPM’s allies have lately indicated he headed out of ODM.

A Meru politician George Thuranira, a close ally of the PM, has declared he would go for Mudavadi’s current deputy party leader’s position.

Top position

"Given that the deputy party leader’s position is getting vacant, I have put my supporters on notice and have informed the party of my intentions to go for the position," said Thuranira an ally of the PM.

Other noticeable figures in ODM eyeing national offices include Cabinet ministers Franklin Bett (chairman), Paul Otuoma (organising Secretary) and Assistant ministers Margaret Wanjiru (vice-chairperson), Magerer Langat (chairman). Others are Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, and businessman Julius Okinda set to challenge Cabinet minister Anyang’ Nyong’o for secretary general.

"We are not in agreement at all with plans to hold elections for the national offices in September. What we agree with is that party presidential nomination can be scheduled in September for obvious reasons," Okinda warned.

Party delegates in Kisumu who met Raila and Musalia on Thursday also demanded the party should publish the entire list of all the delegates in the Press for public scrutiny.

Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu said breakdown in party electoral process that started in November, last year, is to blame for the current stand- off over party presidential nominations. "Why did they have to stop the flow of the electoral process, that is why we have gotten into all this trouble?" Chanzu wondered.

The legislator said that the party now risks legal action for forwarding to the registrar party contituition that is not in tandem with the new Constitution.

He further argued that there is a wing of the ODM party that is operating a one sided strategy likely to plunge the party into a permanent turmoil.

"That party constitution has 63 officials together with eight regional co-ordinators, that does not resonate with our new Constitution. We believe the situation would have been better if we had conducted party elections long ago," Chanzu said.

But party Secretary General Prof Anyang Nyong’o defended his actions to present the party for registration arguing that it was within the law.

"Section 20 of the political party’s act requires parties to seek registration first before they can become competent to amend their constitution rules," argued Nyong’o.

Nyong’o further argued that the ODM constitution also lays down procedures, which must be followed clearly in processing amendments.

On Thursday last week, the party submitted returns to the Registrar of Political Parties to beat the April 30 deadline for compliance with the Political Parties Act, without opening the delegate’s list for scrutiny.

Members who want the list published argue it would help them know who the registered delegates are, and also weed out known moles who may have sneaked in.

But party Director of Elections Joseph Misoi urged members not to panic, adding all is being done to ensure order before the NDC can be conducted.

"We are yet to agree on a tentative date for the NDC consultations are still going on, on this and communications will be made accordingly," Misoi said.

He denied the party might fail to elect new office bearers this year after forwarding a list of old officials to the Registrar of Political Parties for purposes of beating the stipulated deadline.

Parties Act

Gwasi MP John Mbadi supported the decision to register old party officials, adding the party risked being deregistered if it failed to act on Political Parties Act requirements.

"The party cannot wait forever. I support the agreement that we secure registration first so that we are compliant with the law before we can move to other businesses," Mbadi said.

For the past months, the party has been struggling to thrush out differences and wrangles among some party leaders.

Raila was forced to move in to reconcile Wanjiru and Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa, who were locked up in a tug of war over Nairobi party leadership. The PM announced he had succeeded in mending the differences between the two city leaders.

The Standard On Sunday established that while Aladwa has been registered as the official Nairobi County chairman, Wanjiru would be confirmed as vice- chairperson at the delegate’s conference.

Other leadership wrangles resolved include that of Kasipul-Kabondo, Nyakach, and Nyando.

But it was unclear who was registered as the bonafide party chairman in Meru following a standoff between Mpuri Aburi and lawyer Mugambi Imanyara.

The two claimed victory in the Meru County grassroots elections. Attempts by the elections board to reconcile them failed.

In Kasipul-Kabondo, MP Oyugi Magwanga and local party chairman Zachary Muga resolved their differences at a meeting attended by constituency delegates.

Muga’s group later waved an earlier decision to suspend the MP from the party and resolved to work together. "Yes, we have resolved outstanding issues, and it is important that we work together for the good of the party," Magwanga said.

But now with the clash between allies of the PM and those of the DPM uncertainty hangs over the future of the Orange party, as Mudavadi’s exit could trigger an exodus from the party and the collapse of some of its branches mostly in Western Province.