CORD pact at risk as mini-polls bickering depeens

By JAMES MBAKA

Kenya: The missing influence of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is being felt in CORD as bickering in the official opposition over the coming by-elections worsens.

It comes on top of demands by some leaders in Raila’s party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM, that the 2013 pre-election pact be renegotiated.

A year after CORD — which brings together ODM, Wiper Democratic Movement-Kenya and Ford-Kenya — was formed, deep cracks have emerged, raising doubts on whether the pact will hold until the 2017 General Election.

And it comes as Raila, one of the three co-principals in the coalition, is away in the US -for at least another one month.

While the former PM’s allies say the ODM leader will still be the coalition’s candidate in 2017, Wiper MPs insist it is time he reciprocated to support Kalonzo Musyoka, his running mate in last year’s polls.

Ford Kenya leader and Bungoma Senator Moses Masika Wetang’ula, the only one of the three CORD co-principals in Parliament, is also under pressure to run for the presidency.

Raila’s brother Oburu Oginga told a rally in Nyanza last week that his brother would be in the ballot in 2017.

Second fiddle

And Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka too said that Kalonzo must no longer play second fiddle to Raila and instead go for the top seat in 2017. “Kalonzo should get out of the coalition and chart his own political destiny. He should weigh his options without being in the shadow of CORD,” maintained Musyoka.

Ford-Kenya’s Nyamira Senator Mong’are Bwo’Okong’o also warned ODM to prepare for a major battle to pick the coalition’s presidential ticket in 2017. “Wetangula will fight for the presidential ticket in 2017. ODM should realise that events are changing fast and it would be important to brace for a titanic showdown. It will not be a golden platter for Raila,” Mong’are said.

MPs allied to ODM, the party in CORD with the largest number of members in the National Assembly and Senate, want their party to take over the positions of Minority Leaders in both Houses of Parliament.

Currently, the Minority Leader in the National Assembly is Wiper’s Francis Nyenze while Ford Kenya’s Wetang’ula holds the post in the Senate. Angered by the decision of Ford Kenya and Wiper to field candidates in the coming by-elections, thereby splitting the CORD vote, Orange MPs are now citing their party’s numerical strength in Parliament as justification to renegotiate the coalition’s pre-election agreement.

ODM STRONGHOLDS

South Mugirango MP Manson Nyamweya says it is illogical for a party with the highest number of MPs and senators in the coalition not to have any position of leadership in Parliament in the era of competitive politics. .

“ODM must be a party looking for political power in 2017 or it surrenders it to the coalition partners. It is my view that with the current Standing Orders, those outfits do not qualify to be called political parties. They are only alive and kicking within the coalition,” said Nyamweya.

Discontent is growing within CORD over the way the coalition should approach the by-elections in Mathare, Nyando, Bonchari, Shinyalu and Migori with regard to fielding of candidates in the perceived ODM strongholds.

ODM’s Suna East MP Junet Mohamed ignited the feud last week when he railed at Ford-Kenya for fielding candidates in perceived ODM strongholds.

Mohamed demanded that the parties cede the leadership posts in Parliament to ODM to curb what he termed as “tyranny of the minority.” Some ODM MPs allege that the Orange party was being marginalised in a marriage where the party commanded a huge stake.

But Ford-Kenya Senator Mong’are Bwo’Okong’o told off ODM saying the Minority parliamentary leadership seats were reserved for Wiper and Ford Kenya according to the Naivasha agreement. On claims that affiliate parties should not sponsor a candidate in ODM strongholds, he said his party would field a candidate in the Bonchari and Nyando by-elections.

Ford Kenya Secretary General Esseli Simiyu insisted that the politicalpact that sired CORD is that of co-operation and not limited to zoning of perceived influential regions.

“We will field our candidate in Nyando because he is the one who successfully petitioned Fred Outa’s election. This is the law of natural justice,” he pointed out.