Cord retreats as 2017 flagbearer issue rises

Cord starts a two-day retreat on Sunday to lay the foundation for the 2017 General Election as insiders say the coalition will have to grapple with how to manage competing presidential interests.

Coming hardly a week after twin endorsements of Wiper Democratic Movement party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his Ford-Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang’ula by their respective parties, there is fear that positions may harden.

“Wiper has a candidate and we think he is the best. We will have a better mechanism to deal with the issue of picking Cord’s presidential flagbearer and we are certain it will be smooth,” said Wiper chairman David Musila, also the senator for Kitui on Tuesday.

Hours before this, Ford-K National Executive Council had given Mr Wetang’ula the greenlight to seek the alliance’s blessings to compete against President Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2017 elections, in what is seen as raising the tempo for the retreat.

“We confirm that Ford Kenya will offer its party leader as a presidential candidate in 2017. We strongly believe in his ability to provide the leadership required to save our beloved nation from the current challenges,” said the party secretary-general Eseli Simiyu.

ODM leader Raila Odinga, who came second after President Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2013 elections, thinks he should take the ticket .

Some Wiper MPs have told Mr Musyoka to consider retiring from active politics if he will not be Cord’s presidential candidate in the next General Election.

Contents of a secret pre-election pact entered into by the three politicians are expected to be cited as the Wiper members maintain that 2017 is their year.
But party secretary-general Hassan Omar opines: “Only one of them will be candidate, with the other being a running mate,” he says.

This is a trodden path particularly for Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka.

In mid-August 2007, when Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka were in ODM-K, the party split into two factions as fights over who should command the opposition troops in the build-up to the December elections spilled out of control.

Mr Odinga’s group, which had ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, Mr William Ruto, Mr Joseph Nyagah and Mr Najib Balala, defected from ODM Kenya, taking over ODM party.

The two would later face President Mwai Kibaki in the General Election that ended in violence when Mr Odinga disputed the results that declared Mr Kibaki the winner.

ODM luminaries such as Ababu Namwamba have said in the past that 2017 will be Mr Odinga’s final go at the presidency.

The fact that the matter is not part of the agenda of the meeting that begins today in Naivasha reinforces what Mr Musyoka told the Sunday Nation last week that they will avoid any subject that is potentially divisive.

The retreat conveners, senators Johnstone Muthama (Machakos) and James Orengo (Siaya), who are also co-chairs of the Cord Coalition management committee, said they are firmly in control of the process that will see them approach the next polls a united front.

“There is so much hyperbole on this subject. The retreat is meant to take stock of our midterm performance. I can assure you that the subject of who becomes Cord’s presidential candidate is not on the table,” Mr Orengo said.

Senator Muthama insists all is well in Cord. “There are no differences among Cord affiliates. We are set for 2017 and since we are the winning team, we do not need substitution for our three star players,” he said.

Dr Simiyu, a key adviser to Mr Wetang’ula, warns that a disintegrated Cord would effectively be handing Mr Kenyatta a second term on a silver platter.
“Just like we sat down last time and agreed, we will do the same this time round. Anything short of this will spell doom for the opposition,” he told the Sunday Nation.

“The meeting, which brings together the coalition MPs and the leadership, is expected to, among other things, evaluate the performance of the coalition both in Parliament and outside for the last two-and-a-half years,” Cord secretariat said on Friday in a statement.

Minority leader in the National Assembly Francis Nyenze (Wiper) has been criticised for jaded leadership in the House and some MPs want him replaced.