Thursday, November 22, 2012

Mudavadi, Kalonzo strike election deal


BY MOSES NJAGIH AND LORNA KIBET
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka now say they have reached an agreement to present a common front in the March election.
The two, speaking through the spokesperson of their negotiating team Ikolomani MP Dr Bonny Khalwale, would not however disclose the details of the deal, especially on who will be the Presidential candidate as well as running mate.
The deal, even though not firmed up, was reached after a meeting between the two and their leaders at Serena Hotel, Nairobi, Thursday. Both leaders attended the meeting.  The team said that they had agreed to approach the March 4 General Election on a common platform after the agreement that is a culmination of days of intense negotiations between the two groups.
It was not also immediately clear about what is in the deal for both sides if the pair go ahead and win elections, and if at all they will form a new coalition or one will move to the other’s party.
The two appear to have decided to pair up after it became clear Eldoret North MP William and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta have resolved to march on with their United Republican Party and The National Alliance coalition without them.
Khalwale said that the two presidential aspirants would start working on the strategies to woo other political parties to join their team, in a bid to form a stronger outfit. “We have been holding meetings with experts from both teams and today we briefed the two principals who have agreed on our move. They have made suggestions on how to get the other political parties to join us,” said Khalwale.
The Ikolomani MP said both Kalonzo and Mudavadi were keen on ensuring that the coalition is not based on the backing of select communities, hence the move to incorporate other political parties in the broader pact. “We are coming in with a winning force and we want the country to buy into an alliance that does not represent community interests,” said Khalwale.
GIVEN MOMENTUM
Sources within URP and TNA say the idea by the two leaders to carry on without Kalonzo and Mudavadi was given momentum by what the two sides say were “unrealistic’ and ‘excessive” demands by Kalonzo and Mudavadi. They particularly are said to have taken issue with Kalonzo’s alleged demand that Uhuru, who is billed to be the candidate in the URP-TNA alliance, steps down for him. 
The DPM and the Eldoret North MP held a daylong meeting at Uhuru’s residence along State House road on Monday where the decision was reached according to insiders. “It is true, Musyoka has been dropped from the alliance owing to unrealistic demands that he made including that Uhuru should step down for him in the Presidential race,” said an MP privy to the discussions.
The VP is said to have turned down a position of chairman of the alliance, which he had been offered including giving him a stake in government in case they win.
Insiders explain Kalonzo’s rejection of the offer split his MPs with eight urging him to renegotiate while five are supporting his move. A retreat has been organised for the Wiper party MPs on Friday to discuss the new development according to sources in the party who did not want to be named for this story. However, this could have changed since the announcement on a deal with Mudavadi had not come.
The announcement by Kalonzo and Mudavadi would however be considered sealed when their Wiper Democratic Movement and United Democratic Forum finally sign a pre-election pact before the December 4, deadline.
SHARE POWER
This is when all parties must have deposited their written pacts outlining how they plan to share power and merge their manifestoes as well as outline the agreed dispute resolution mechanism, with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo, who represents Kalonzo in the negotiating team’s spokespersons’ table, said the VP and the Sabatia MP had agreed to work together and had now been mandated to negotiate with other parties. He revealed they would from tomorrow begin talks with other groups. 
“They will be planning and holding joint rallies which are tentatively slated to kick off next weekend,” said Kilonzo. He said the joint rallies should have kicked off last week but were delayed because of talks involving Ruto and Uhuru.
The alliance now plans to bring on board as many parties as possible including leaders who will fall out from the rival ODM and TNA-URP groups.
Khalwale said they are also going to bring on board leaders from minority groups because their agenda is to unite as many leaders as possible. “We want to bring to an end the idea of one or two communities dominating politics in the country and deciding the fate of others and that is why all major and small tribes belong to these alliance,” said Khalwale.
What it now means is that the country has two sets of political alliances taking firm shape; Uhuru/Ruto and Mudavadi/Kalonzo.



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