JARED NYATAYA | NATION Prime Minister Raila Odinga (second right) and his deputy, Mr Musalia Mudavadi, leave Kisumu’s Jomo Kenyatta sports ground after attending the launch of the Sh4 billion Kisumu Urban Project on April 05, 2012. The project, funded by the French Government, seeks to uplift social infrastructure in the lakeside town.
By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com AND BY ELISHA OTIENO newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Thursday, April 5 2012 at 22:00
Posted Thursday, April 5 2012 at 22:00
IN SUMMARY
- Party finally reaches consensus on mode of picking frontrunner in State House race
ODM’s presidential candidate will be picked by delegates elected at the ward level.
The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Wednesday resolved that each ward will produce 58 delegates who will convene at a central place in each of the proposed 290 constituencies to elect the presidential candidate.
Voting will be by secret ballot, the meeting which was chaired by the party’s leader Raila Odinga also decided. (READ: Raila and Mudavadi allies agree on polls)
It was also resolved that the party’s candidates for the governor’s position will be picked at the locational level.
The election results will be transmitted to the county level for the final tallying, it was agreed.
Sources, who attended the meeting held behind closed doors, disclosed that the legal team headed by lawyer Mugambi Imanyara will advise the NEC on whether the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will supervise the nominations.
The team comprises former assistant minister Joseph Kiangoi, Mweresia Eboso, the party’s executive director Janet Ong’era and Tom Kajwang.
Mr Odinga asked the NEC members to reflect on the need to vary the number of delegates participating in the presidential nominations depending on the support the party commands in a given region.
He said it would be unfair for a region such as Central where the party does not command sizeable support to have the same number of delegates or more delegates than Western Province where the party enjoys massive support.
He explained that this was the trend in democracies such as America.
The suggestion was however not put to debate as he closed the meeting after making the remarks.
The sources revealed that a section of the members expressed concern at the failure to debate the contentious clause in the ODM constitution that declares the party leader its automatic presidential candidate.
Members argued that they could not discuss election rules without discussing amendments to the constitution because the former is subordinate to the latter.
Cabinet minister William ole Ntimama caused a light moment when he said that the pressure to have the clause removed was so intense that NEC had no option but to remove it.
“We agreed to amend the constitution to allow democracy in the party. It was the wish of the majority in the meeting. Everybody was happy, the Prime Minister was happy, the deputy Prime Minister was also happy,” said Defence assistant minister Joseph Nkaissery.
Speaking on Thursday, Mr Midiwo said ODM members will support Mr Mudavadi if he beats Mr Odinga in the presidential nominations.
In an apparent change of heart, Mr Midiwo defended Mr Mudavadi’s democratic right to challenge Mr Odinga for the presidential ticket.
“We will support whoever wins in the party’s nomination because we all belong to one political family,” he said during a live radio talk show.
The focus of the party, he explained, was ODM’s victory in the next General Election.
The Gem MP had previously made remarks suggesting that he was opposed to Mr Mudavadi’s candidature.
He however said the PM stood a better chance to carry the nomination ticket.
“ Since ODM is still the most popular party in the country and Mr Odinga as the most popular presidential candidate, I doubt if Mr Mudavadi will defeat him,” he said.
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