Meeting fails to resolve Raila-Mudavadi row on nomination

A key ODM meeting ended in a stalemate on Monday after supporters of Prime Minister Raila Odinga and those of his deputy Musalia Mudavadi failed to agree on the method of picking the ODM presidential candidate.

After four hours of deliberations, the National Executive Committee meeting, attended by both Mr Odinga and Mr Mudavadi, ended with no resolution on the critical issue. (READ: Mudavadi warns of split as ODM meets)

Sources who attended the meeting disclosed that whereas the pro-Odinga group demanded that the party’s presidential contender be nominated during a National Delegates Conference (NDC), the pro-Mudavadi forces insisted that the party’s flagbearer be picked by delegates at the county level.

Both camps however rejected a third option which proposed that the party forms an Electoral College to set the rules for picking the torchbearer.

Also rejected was a proposal that the nomination be open to all party members.

The meeting had been called to discuss a report by a legal team that had developed new election guidelines ahead of the next general election.

It was also expected to fix the date and agenda of the party’s National Governing Council (NGC) meeting.

Among other things, the legal team had proposed that the party’s presidential candidate be picked by the party’s delegates during an NDC. Another proposal was that the party’s flagbearer be picked by delegates at the county level.

The third option was that the party forms an Electoral College which would develop guidelines for picking the presidential candidate.

Mr Mudavadi, sources said, outrightly rejected the proposal that the party’s candidate be picked by the NDC saying it undermined the spirit of devolution.

The meeting was called amid growing tension in the party over campaigns for the presidential ticket.

The party secretary-general Prof Anyang Nyongo said the meeting discussed the proposed ODM Elections rules and the Devolution Bill.

Prof Nyongo said NEC members scrutinised the elections rules that had been prepared by the party’s legal team however discussions on the rules will be held during another meeting to be arranged later.

“The party will conduct grassroots membership recruitment at the sub-location level to comply with the Political Parties Act. Once the exercise is over members will be given 14 days to scrutinise the register and where no complaints arise the register will be deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties,” he said.

The National Executive Council and Parliamentary Group meeting comes after Mr Mudavadi warned of unspecified consequences if the system of nominating the party’s presidential candidate was not going to be free and fair.

Both Mr Mudavadi and Mr Odinga attended the meeting that involved other NEC members William Ntimama, Margaret Wanjiru, Joseph Nkaissery, Josphat Nanok, Prof Anyang Nyong’o, Jakoyo Midowo, Peter Kuguru and Reuben Ndolo. Non-Nec members who attended the meeting included James Orengo, Dalmas Otieno and Fred Gumo.

Speaking in Kakamega last Friday, Mr Mudavadi warned that only a free and fair nomination would save the party from disintegrating.

“We must avoid reckless handling of the processes or be ready to face the consequences that follow if the processes are mismanaged,” he said.

Also on the agenda of the meeting was a proposal that the presidential primaries and the national elections be held at the delegates conference.

If this is endorsed, the campaign by Mr Mudavadi’s supporters for polls at county level will be defeated.

Mr Mudavadi has been arguing that nomination at the delegates conference will be open to manipulation and its endorsement could well have him declare that the party had opted for an unfair system.

Mr Odinga’s allies have claimed that there is an external hand behind Mr Mudavadi’s aggressive push to win the ODM ticket, accusations that the Local Government minister has denied.