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| Orange Democratic Movement has endorsed Cornel Rasanga to carry its flag. [Photo: File/Standard] |
BY LAWRENCE ALURU
SIAYA; KENYA: Orange Democratic Movement ( ODM) Siaya branch has finally endorsed the immediate former governor Cornel Rasanga to carry its flag in the forthcoming by-elections.
Led by the branch Chairman Mr George Okanda, the six sub county officials said that several issues brought them to conclude that Rasanga was the candidate of choice.
The leaders said that since the court ruling did bar Rasanga from contesting in the by-election or guilty of committing any malpractice as a person, they did not see the reason why they cannot endorse him.
Okanda said that Rasanga had no election offence and the party gave him the mandate to carry the flag for five years.
“We as ODM leaders in Siaya have not seen any reason why we should not endorse Rasanga because he not committed anything bad to warrant being locked out,” he said after a meeting with 30 representatives from all sub-counties in the area at the ODM office.
“The results from January nominations are seen and we cannot go back to nominations that will bring rift within the party in the county,” he added.
Apart from the rift that will be brought by nominations, the officials indicated that time for preparing for nominations is short and so they may not be happy to move on with the process.
“The timeframe given is very short and so planning would mean high spending but the party may not have solutions for the same. Nomination is very cumbersome and takes a lot of time,” Okanda added.
The leaders appealed to the party top brass to take their word for they understand the position of the members on the ground.
A section of the party officials have been lobbying for some candidates instead of picking Rasanga as the flag bearer.
The name of former Permanent Secretary for Regional Development Carey Orege who is from Bondo has featured since last week and yet others do not see the reason to deny Rasanga the ticket.
At the homecoming of Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo, ODM luminaries present endorsed the former governor as the party ticket.
Earlier on nominated MP Dr Oburu Oginga and Siaya Senator James Orengo said the nominations will prick old wounds and divide the party at a time members needed to be united.
Dr Oburu had told the top brass to consider picking the candidate through consensus since it was the best way.
Dr Oburu reminded the leaders to avoid what could revert into political wars which will bring acrimony among its members in the county and hence help in weakening the party.
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