Raila pleads with Nyanza to vote six-piece

By EVELYN KWAMBOKA and LAWRENCE ALURU

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has appealed for a six piece-voting pattern in Nyanza to get sufficient numbers in the next government.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) presidential candidate campaigned in Siaya County for the first time after the flawed Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) primaries also admitted playing a role in ‘awarding’ party tickets to those rejected by voters.

“In 2007, you voted a three-piece but this time round, you should vote a six-piece. The most important positions that would contribute to the national government are the Governor and Senator,” he said.

He said without ODM numbers in CORD he would not have the strength even if elected president in the March 4 General Election.

Defending the move to ‘award’ ODM tickets to various politicians, Raila said he did it to get numbers based on the agreement signed by his party, Wiper Democratic Party (WDM) and Ford-Kenya.

 “I will not get anything if I go there empty-handed. I will be a General without soldiers if Ford-Kenya gets votes here and Western. You have to give me people to have a good bargain,” he told a rally in Siaya Stadium yesterday.

Most of those aggrieved in the primaries defected to parties within the coalition.

The defection of Mr Olago Aluoch and Abdulkadir Omar’ to Ford-Kenya and Nyakach MP Ochieng Daima to Wiper is seen as a big blow and likely to divide votes in Kisumu County.

Raila said CORD principals agreed to share positions in government based on the number of those elected on respective party tickets.

This comes following a decision by ODM National Electoral Board Chairman Franklin Bett to ‘award’ Siaya governor nomination to Mr Cornel Rasanga Amoth.

The move was to resolve nominations dispute between Raila’s elder brother Oburu Oginga and Mr William Oduol, who defected to National Agenda Party of Kenya.

However, Raila who was accompanied by his brother Oburu and cousin Mr Jakoyo Midiwo dismissed claims he had a hand in their fate. He blamed the nomination wrangles on his rivals, and said their ploy to weaken his team would not succeed.