ODM has set tough new conditions to work with the three NASA Principals in the 2022 General Elections.
The Raila Odinga-led party has invited fellow NASA principals for a joint presidential nomination exercise.
ODM has told Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi and their Ford Kenya counterpart, that if they beat a candidate fronted by ODM in the exercise, the party will back the winner for Presidency.
To ensure, fairness in the joint nomination exercise, ODM has told the NASA principals that they will seek the services of an electoral agency.
On the method of nomination, ODM has asked the three parties to choose whether the voting will be through universal suffrage, which involves the members of the three parties affiliated to NASA casting their votes or by use of delegates.
ODM has insisted these conditions are the irreducible minimums for NASA to be renewed ahead of the 2022 General election.
“If they want us to work together under whichever banner, let’s have a joint presidential nomination process to see who has the numbers,” Suna East MP Junet Mohamed told the Standard.
Junet who is ODM’s Director of Elections and campaigns has boldly claimed that the party is not ready to back a weak candidate.
Wiper vice-chairman Mutula Kilonzo has however dismissed the plans outlined by ODM. The Makueni Senator argues that ODM cannot be trusted.
“All these processes are predicated on trust. As we speak, the parties cannot agree on sharing the political parties' funds. How will they agree on a joint nomination?” Mutula Kilonzo questioned.
Kimilili MP Chris Wamalwa who is a member of Ford Kenya on the other hand has said that they have no problem working with ODM so long as they use the consensus process used in the past.
“When we endorsed Raila Odinga, we didn’t use nomination. It was a consensus process agreed upon by the principals. We want to maintain the same methodology,” he told the Standard.
He added,” We cannot support a process that can be manipulated.”
