ODM lays out plans for county party elections

ODM National Election Board chairperson Judy Pareno and member Peter Odoyo. (Photo:File)

All Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) officials at the counties are expected to step down as the party prepares to conduct grassroots elections next month.

According to Judith Pareno, the National Election Board (NEB) chairperson, the polls will be held at the county, constituency and ward levels between July 31 and August 3.

Consequently, branch officials are required to submit membership registers for scrutiny ahead of the polls. The current delegates’ register was compiled in 2011, but some members have since died while others have quit the party.

“We are dedicated and ready to provide free and fair elections. We will be very strict in discharging our electoral mandate to ensure democracy prevails. Only committed members of the party will participate. We are determined to deliver a transparent election to restore members’ trust in the party,” Pareno said.

The first phase of the election will be conducted in Kilifi, Vihiga, Nairobi, Kajiado, Marsabit, Wajir and Migori counties. The second and third phases will then follow before the exercise is concluded in October.

Those expected to relinquish their posts include current party branch (county) officials and leaders at the sub-county (constituency), location and sub-location levels.

New structures

ODM National Chairman John Mbadi told The Standard on Sunday the party is restructuring its operations to conform with the devolved systems.

“ODM intends to have two levels of governance - a county and national party office,” he said. “The county party office will hold the county annual delegates’ conference the same way the national office conducts the annual national delegates’ conference, which is the party’s top decision making organ.”

Each management unit at the county will have 60 people - 20 youths, 20 women and 20 men. But the number of delegates will be determined by the number of registered members in a region.

Leaders at the village level will be in charge of a polling station while the branch will have direct link to the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) through the party secretariat.

ODM Director of Political Affairs Opiyo Wandayi said the party is keen to develop a different system from the current structure. “We are scrapping the old system. Those who occupy current seats will have to relinquish their positions following the introduction of the new structure,” he said.

ODM Secretary General Ababu Namwamba said the exercise aims to strengthen the party from the grassroots by ensuring proper structures are developed. “We want to take the party back to the people because this is what will differentiate us from other political outfits,” Namwamba said.

But observers feel the exercise is likely to be overshadowed by the chaos which normally characterise such party activities. Right from the 2013 party nominations, last year’s botched Kasarani polls to the recently chaotic nominations for Homa Bay Senatorial seat, ODM elections tend to leave the party divided.

Huge popularity

However, Wandayi said the party has established mechanisms to handle disagreements likely to arise during the grassroots elections.

“Our activities normally generate a lot of heat due to the huge popularity of the party. But we are working on more elaborate measures to handle different opinions. NEC has fully been mandated to manage the election process,” he said.

ODM National Youth League leader Rashid Mohammed says the party’s youth are optimistic the elections will be free and fair. “We are building a new team and we are confident our party will emerge stronger,” Mohammed says. Nyatike MP Edick Anyanga wants ODM supporters and leaders to use the exercise to reconcile and build a stronger party.

“Let us use this opportunity to welcome those who were disillusioned and left us,” Anyanga says. Mbadi says after the grassroots elections, he will lead a delegation of Nyanza leaders in promoting OKOA Kenya initiative and mobilise the locals for mass identity and voter registration.

“We are concerned that many youths aged 18 years and above from our region did not take part in the 2013 elections due to lack of national identity cards. We need to work on this,” Mbadi says.

He says the mobilisation team will tour Migori on July 11 before they head to Homa Bay, Siaya, Nyamira and Kisii counties.