I have what it takes to beat Jubilee in August polls, says Mudavadi

Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi believes he is the best presidential candidate for the National Super Alliance because he is a unifying leader.

He considers himself “the best among the best” of the four opposition aspirants who have so far offered themselves to be the Nasa flagbearer.

They include ODM leader Raila Odinga, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Ford-Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula.

In an interview with the Nation, the former Vice-President rated his chances of becoming Nasa the flagbearer, as well as clinching the Presidency after the August 8 General Election, as being “very good”.

He said: “I consider myself a well calculating individual…who is not polarising at all.

NON-VIOLENT APPROACH

“I am not an intimidating leader. I have always embraced a non-violent approach to resolving issues. Kenyans need security and a sense of belonging.

They require an inclusive leader, who symbolises trust and honesty. This is what we have lacked for a very long time. This is what I will bring.”

But first, his focus is squarely on the process to pick the coalition’s flagbearer by the National Co-ordinating Committee.

“This is a serious matter,” said Mr Mudavadi. “The committee should help us to build a strong foundation for Nasa irrespective of the principals they are supporting.

“We need to look at how to attain a convincing victory and that there should not be any possibility of a run-off. This is the principle that should govern the committee in their deliberations.

WINNING TEAM

“I am, however, satisfied with the progress so far. I am sure that we shall have a winning team come August 8.”

He has many a time been branded too gentle and diplomatic, which many of his critics say can work against him: “Not at all. Yes they will take advantage...but this is always short-lived.”

Pointing out that he abhors those who practice politics of deceit, he added: “Politics should not be about shortchanging others. It should not be a profession for hooligans.”

But away from his gentle mien, Mr Mudavadi has of late appeared to come out forcefully while putting across his political messages, a case in point being the Nasa rally in Mathare. 

“Let Kenyans brace themselves for my new communication style,” he said.

MUSALIA PRESIDENCY

At the rally, he spoke last, Speculation has been rife Kenyans could be prepared for a Musalia presidency.

“Kenyans should not read too much into our order of speech by my co-principals,” said Mr Mudavadi. “It does not mean that when I speak last I am the automatic candidate.

“That’s not the case. The order of speech has always been interchanging. This is deliberate.”

But with their supporters anxiously waiting for the Nasa line-up to be unveiled, the ANC leader offers some advice: “We should not jump the gun by arriving at a conclusion before understanding how that very conclusion will be arrived at.”

He said the committee had already come up with a coalition agreement that will, among other things, address the pitfalls that may arise. It had already been deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties.

CLEAR PORTFOLIO
“We also have an agreement on the sharing of political party funding,” adds Mr Mudavadi. “We now need to develop clear portfolio assignments.

“We must think through this process carefully and agree on the structure of the government, the ministries…remember, we have four political parties in our alliance and the number will definitely rise.

“If this is not done, what stops the flagbearer from crafting his own line-up and disregarding other co-principals’ input? We have, however, made lots of progress on this front. Once this is done, we shall then name our flagbearer and craft a unified campaign strategy.”

The ANC leader appealed to his co-principals to remain united, warning that should one of them bolt – for whatever reason – Nasa will be weakened.

OUR UNITY
“When a team loses a key player, it will definitely be weakened,” he said. “Our success as a coalition will entirely depend on our unity. Nasa is a team. It is not an individual.”
He pointed out that he was in the coalition to stay as he “cannot abandon his baby”.

“We cannot abandon Nasa,: he said. “We have to nurture it to maturity.”

Asked how he relates with his co-principals, he curtly replied: “It is excellent. We have a sense of mutual respect. We have worked together before. We are a good team.”

In the 2008-2013 Grand Coalition government with President Mwai Kibaki, Mr Mudavadi co-deputised Prime Minister Odinga with President Uhuru Kenyatta while Mr Musyoka was Vice-President.

SECOND TIME

His vision, he says, is to kick out Jubilee Party and ensure that the Nasa administration “does what is just, fair and right for Kenyans” once it assumes the country’s leadership.

The second time he is contesting the top seat, Mr Mudavadi says he learnt vital lessons from the 2013 campaign.

“The first is, never ever underrate your opponent,” he said and added without elaborating: “I have also learnt never to underestimate the power of money. It can be used to cause a lot of damage by compromising institutions that should guarantee Kenyans free and fair elections.”

He appealed to Kenyans to vote in leaders based on issues.