ODM drops six-piece vote calls over apathy

By ISAAC ONGIRI iongiri@ke.nationmedia.com  ( email the author)

Posted  Tuesday, February 19  2013 at  21:33

In Summary

• Party’s secretariat gives supporters a free hand to elect any contender in the Cord family

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The Orange party has dropped its controversial six piece campaign to deal with voter apathy threats linked to shambolic primaries in its strongholds.

Officials of the party yesterday asked supporters to vote for any of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy candidates.

Cord national coordinating committee chairman Franklin Bett said calls for six-piece vote in Cord strongholds had been abandoned.

ODM has been facing hard times in some of its strongholds in Nyanza following bungled primaries.

“We have officially withdrawn from the six-piece campaign call. We are a family in Cord and our supporters and voters are free to pick any of the Cord candidates anywhere,” said Mr Bett.

The decision, he said, was arrived at internally and was a reaction to calls by supporters that they should be allowed to choose the leaders they want.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s recent attempts to call for six-piece voting in his Nyanza stronghold met resistance and there are fears this might lead to voter apathy.

Addressing journalists at Cord secretariat in Nairobi, Mr Bett urged voters to come out and vote on March 4, as failure to do so would give bad leaders a chance.

“There is need for all registered voters to turn out in big numbers to cast their votes and elect leaders who will steer them to prosperity,” he said.

Some strong candidates who believe they lost elections unfairly in the ODM primaries joined Cord partner parties and have staged strong opposition in regions where Mr Odinga’s word has always been final.

In Siaya Mr William Oduol, who initially claimed he won the ODM polls, decamped to National Agenda Party and is giving ODM’s Amoth Ratsanga sleepless nights.

“I welcome the Cord decision. Though I know am winning, I believe the idea will help deal with looming voter apathy caused by chaotic nominations,” said Mr Oduol.