Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Raila speaks on Mudavadi




By ALLAN KISIA and RENSON BULUMA
So will Prime Minister Raila Odinga pick his deputy in Cabinet and Orange Democratic Movement Mr Musalia Mudavadi again as running mate in next year’s election?
That has been the biggest political question surrounding the PM and Monday when he joined Mudavadi for a culturalfestival in Vihiga — the heartland of the former Vice President’s support — Raila seemed to have found a way to quell the murmurs around the subject.
And the answer shows both intend, like they did in 2002, to take the battle to ODM delegates, where whoever loses the race for the party’s ticket will have to support the winner.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga gets the full attention of his deputy in Cabinet and Orange Party Mr Musalia Mudavadi in Mbale town where they attended the annual Maragoli Cultural Festival on Monday. [PHOTO: PMPS]
Though Raila and Mudavadi did not say if ‘support’ means in the capacity of running mate, tradition set by the party has it that the second best candidate in the nominations becomes the automatic running mate.
So if one of them loses and is not even number two, chances are the winner will be free to exercise his choice of picking the running mate without being seen to have hurt his friend’s political constituency by side-stepping him. Everything will be seen to have been the outcome of a democratic process in the party where the delegates make their pick.
Raila also appeared to close another door of speculation, that of whether he would ‘expand’ ODM to include other coalition parties using a negotiated pre-election political arrangement which may upset the balance and distribution of power in the party.
There has been speculation he may be plotting to fish a running mate either from Eastern or Coast, or even pick a woman running mate to give his party’s bigger muscle by taking in delegates from outside what is perceived to be ODM’s traditional vote-belt in Western Kenya.
And so Monday Raila was emphatic ODM was ready to go it alone and clinch the top seat. "We are not like others who are rushing to unite with So-and-So. You have heard of them, New Ford-Kenya, Ford-Kenya, Kanu and even Wiper," he said amid laughter.
He told ODM supporters in Mbale town the party will triumph in the coming elections and also assured them democracy would prevail during ODM presidential nominations. "If party members say Mudavadi should go for it, I will support him. If they say I am the most suitable, then Mudavadi will support me," he said amid cheers from the crowd.
He said wrangles witnessed during the recently concluded elections showed ODM is the preferred party. "You will hardly see men fight for a girl who is not beautiful and well-mannered," he said analogously.
Mudavadi said he respects Raila but they will have to drive through the ballot gates to determine the party’s presidential candidate. "If members choose Raila, then I will respect it as a party decision. If I get it, Raila too will have respect the decision," said Mudavadi.
Mudavadi told the members ODM was being strengthened and should remain strong with or without Raila and himself. "There are those people who want Mudavadi to leave ODM and join another party. Is that what you want?" asked Mudavadi.
They were attending the annual Maragoli Cultural Festival at Mbale Grounds. Also present were two MPs from the region: Mr Yusuf Chanzu (Vihiga) and Dr Bonny Khalwale (Ikolomani).
At the weekend, Mudavadi secured firm endorsement from ODM officials from Trans-Nzoia. Mudavadi said he got the blessings of Luhya, Sabaot and Teso elders from the region. The DPM met the council of elders as part of his plan to solidify support in Western Province, at the home of Mr Patrick Wangamati, who chairs Luhya Elders Forum.
Cautioned rivals
ODM leaders from Western Province recently committed themselves to mobilise resources in support of Mudavadi’s presidential candidature. In a resolution, which was arrived at during a meeting at Vokoli Girls in Vihiga County, the 1,500 officials appealed to ODM members and supporters to back Mudavadi.
On Monday, Raila said ODM was a democratic party which allows members to vie for any seat but cautioned rivals against interfering with ODM’s internal affairs and said his party was ready for elections if they were to be held on (the new Constitution’s date of) August 14 next year. "If people push for another date, it will not be us," he explained.
Raila told Khalwale to join ODM saying it was a party with national appeal. "ODM is in Lamu, Mandera, Turkana, everywhere. Khalwale, if you go to neighbouring Kisumu, will you find New Ford Kenya there?" he asked.
Earlier, Raila had called on the Luhya to be wary of leaders who preach tribalism for selfish political gain. Speaking during this year’s Samia community sports and cultural festival at Bumbe Beach in Busia County, Raila expressed dismay at the way his rivals from Western Kenya who he claimed were using the tribal factor to woo voters to their political parties.
In the thinly veiled attack at New Ford-Kenya presidential aspirant and Saboti MP Mr Eugene Wamalwa and his Ford Kenya counterpart Foreign minister Moses Wetangula, Raila said voters in the region had the right to choose a party and leader they believe in and should not be coerced into supporting parties led by members of their communities.
"Politics is like religion where one is free to join the denomination of his choice. No person can force you to join a party you do not like," said Raila.
Wamalwa on Sunday accused Raila of allegedly misleading residents of Western Province over the construction of a dam in Bungoma County to avert flooding in Budalang’i.
Wamalwa said statements issued by Raila and some ODM leaders during their recent visit to Budalang’i to console flood victims were malicious and could sow hatred between people of Busia and Bungoma Counties.
He said it was unfortunate for Raila to portray Bungoma leaders as people working against construction of a dam on the upper part of River Nzoia. He claimed that Raila had assured people in Bungoma that they would not be evacuated.
Wamalwa claimed PM told people in Tongaren in Lugari that the government would not remove them from their land to create room for the construction of the dam because the Cabinet had not approved such project.
But speaking in Budalang’i, Raila who was accompanied by Cabinet ministers James Orengo (Lands) and Paul Otuoma (Sports) as well as Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, said the project would continue.

2 comments:

  1. The Bitter truth is that "Raila does NOT allow" anybody to beat him. And if by miracle one did beat him, Raila and his LUO tribesmen will not accept it. These people are definitely not democrats. Raila himself is the epitimy of Dictatorship

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  2. Grapevine has it that if he loses, he will form or join another party and run as its presidential candidate.

    I don't think Mudavadi can beat him.

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