PLOT AGAINST 'NO'

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga today assemble top political leaders in their wings of Grand Coalition to strategise on how defeat ‘No’ team at the referendum.

The 10.30am meeting, set for the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, was announced as the Interim Independent Electoral Commission consulted on the referendum question and symbols. IIEC also announced it would release the referendum question on Friday as per the review law that requires it to do so seven days after the publication of the draft.

After whipping the Cabinet behind ‘Yes’, this is the second time Kibaki and Raila are driving the message home that they are in this together — for better or worse! Both were at Friday’s ceremony to mark publication by the Attorney General.

They seem to not only be out to fulfill their part of the power-sharing deal of February 2008, but also to make a personal statement on what they stand for. For Kibaki, retirement beckons but his legacy still is shrouded by the 2007 electoral mess, and the Kriegler Commission’s conclusion it is impossible to tell who won the elections. If he succeeds in giving Kenyans a new constitution before the 2012 General Election, he could, therefore, hope to placate the nation with a retirement gift they have sought for at least two decades.

Raila, on the other hand, is a hardened reform warrior who served detention terms for his zeal. He was the first top politician to declare he would vote ‘Yes’, thereby running with the reform flag to the irritation of some PNU rivals. He could be counting on the fact that this could give him an edge over others eyeing Kibaki’s shoes and playing catch-up.

Kibaki will attend the meeting as the leader of the Party of National Unity coalition while Raila attends as head of Orange Democratic Movement.

The Presidential Press Service news flash on the meeting went out as IIEC consulted Parliamentary Select Committee on the final stretch to the referendum. It set out the agenda of the meeting as a "consultative forum on strategies in support of the new constitution".

Party captains

It brings together the captains of Kenya’s parliamentary parties including Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka (ODM-Kenya), Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta (Kanu), Gichugu MP Martha Karua (Narc-Kenya), Health Minister Charity Ngilu (Narc) and Mr Musikari Kombo (Ford Kenya).

It is understood the meeting will not only seek to reinforce the Cabinet’s resolve to campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote, but will also seek to counter possible gains by the ‘No’ team, which is bolstered by the Church. This is because of the appreciation of the fact that at the referendum, every vote counts. If there is a tie between the ‘Nos’, whose political face is Higher Education minister William Ruto, and the ‘Yes’ team under the stewardship of Kibaki and Raila, the bid for a new constitution will have been defeated. It is also important for the President and PM to marshal their troops because the flipside is true — if ‘No’ votes surpass the half mark of the votes cast, the document would also have been thrown out of the window.

The meeting will project Kibaki and Raila as two leaders determined to push on to the Finish Line despite rejection of the draft by a section of the political class as well as majority of the Churches who want clauses on conditional abortion and Kadhis’ Courts removed.

PNU Chairman George Saitoti, his Secretary General Kiraitu Murungi and their ODM counterparts Mr Henry Kosgey and Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o are also expected to attend. KADDU leader Cyrus Jirongo, who is against the draft, said he was ready to attend to advise on how to approach the referendum without polarising the country.

The meeting comes against a backdrop of failed attempts by State and Church to reach consensus on contentious issues.

The ministers campaigning for ‘No’ are Dr Naomi Shaaban (Special Programmes), Mr Samuel Poghishio (Information) and Ruto.

In a message posted on its website IIEC called on Kenyans to suggest the symbols they want used but include a caveat: "The symbols should not resemble those of registered political parties and should not also be an orange or a banana as was the case in the 2005 referendum."

It further said it was seeking "simple, neutral and easy to distinguish symbols… to help voters, especially the not-so-literate ones." Those who give suggestions are supposed to give reasons for their choice.

eligible voters

IIEC Chairman Ahmed Issack Hassan told journalists after the meeting with PSC at County Hall, Nairobi, they will reveal the question on Friday and the symbols to be used within the next 14 days.

He revealed their discussions were on the need to avoid symbols held by the 47 registered political parties. The commissioners will meet before the end of the next two weeks to set the referendum date that is expected to be before August 6. "In the next two weeks we shall be able to give you the referendum date," he added.

Hassan, who was accompanied by Commissioners Winnie Guchu, Hamara Adan and IIEC Chief Executive James Oswago, pointed out under section 37 of the Review Act they were required to consult with the PSC on referendum matters.

"We have had very useful deliberations with the committee and we shall now go back and formulate the questions and come up with the symbols," he added. He disclosed the just concluded manual voter registration exercise had managed to net over 80 per cent of eligible voters. The release of the final tally is expected today once the tabulations are completed.

PSC Chairman Abdikadir Mohammed said the new constitution was on course and told The Standard the option of multiple questions at the referendum was ruled.

"After much deliberation we settled on having one question to be used during the referendum on the entire document as opposed to having questions for certain sections," he added.

Abdikadir explained PSC wanted to ensure that the process is carried out in a fair, respectful and open manner.

"We want to ensure that those who are for it and those against it have room to say so," he added.

The Committee of Experts is also set to kick off civic education today, also at KICC. The experts have invited members of the public to be sensitised on the proposed constitution. The exercise is part of the ongoing 30 days of civic education. The end of this period would be followed by campaigns preceding referendum day.