Despite mounting pressure, widening fissures and a ticking clock, Cord has decided not to reveal its presidential candidate until January — seven months to the election.
This delay is intended to ensure he will be not over-exposed and savaged by the Jubilee Party political machine — and to prevent growing internal rifts in the coalition where all three co-principals want to be President.
Jubilee has urged the opposition to name its man, saying Cord's inability or unwillingness to do so demonstrates that it divided, in disarray and unable to lead the country.
Cord leader and ODM chief Raila Odinga has said he will support whoever can best defeat President Uhuru Kenyatta. He is traversing the country to rejuvenate and consolidate ODM bastions. Co-principals Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya) and Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper) are vocal and in contention.
The so-called mechanism for deciding on a fair and popular nomination has not be determined, though the opposition coalition says it's hard at work to craft a process.
The plan to have independent foreign experts conduct surveys to determine the people's favourite for President and Deputy President — and to be guided by that information — apparently is a non-starter. This is too important to be left to the people, without political guidance.
“We have our own timeliness we are strictly looking at, unlike Jubilee, which is in power and knows who will be the flagbearer. We must be strategic and shrewd, not to fall into our opponent’s dungeon,” Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu yesterday told the Star. He is Ford Kenya secretary general and a member of Cord's he Cord management committee.
"Only at the right time, will we make the announcement," he said.
The coalition's three co-chairmen – Senators James Orengo (Siaya), Johnson Muthama (Machakos) and Simiyu - are leading experts working out the selection formula. They must balance the interests of ODM, Ford Kenya and Wiper and decide how to console the loser and keep him on board, probably with promises of a powerful government position and many posts.
The team includes MPs Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini), Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba), Senator Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed. There's a technical team of lawyers, statisticians and political scientists.
“If we unveil our candidate too early, that will expose him to Jubilee, which will employ all manner of schemes to damage him, Simiyu said.
Yesterday Boni Khalwale, the Ford Kenya Deputy Party leader, told the Star Cord is mulling three approaches so far to pick is flagbearer.
“We are already working on a mechanism and several suggestions have been floated. That's for the team to reveal, but essentially there is much progress," he said.
Universal suffrage, boardroom negotiations and a delegates convention are being considered.
There is a proposal for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to conduct primaries among members of the three coalition parties to pick the flagbearer.
Regarding boardroom negotiation, the three co-principals could be asked to build consensus among themselves and agree on candidate and running mate.
Concerning a delegates' convention, the three parties would ferry equal numbers of delegates to Nairobi where they would elect the Cord presidential candidate.
The coalition expects to registering the Cord Party as a corporate political party by November.
The flagbearer is to be named in January.
Primaries will kick off in February to pick joint candidates to fly the Cord flag for all positions countrywide, except President and Deputy President.
Kalonzo has said Cord presidential nominations should be concluded in time to allow the torchbearer sufficient time to campaign. A last-minute search is to be avoided.
“Our competitors in Jubilee already have their candidate in Kenyatta. We should also tell the country who our captain is and give voters enough time to evaluate him on the basis of policies," Kalonzo said at a rally in Kitui in May.
Cord wants to avoid the countrywide apprehension caused by the issue of presidential nominations in the last general election.
“What we did in 2013, when we hurriedly formed our coalition weeks to the general election, was not good. But now we have all the time to nominate and present our candidate to Kenyans,” Kalonzo said.
Cord co-chairman Johnson Muthama said, "Our opponents want to know what we are planning and who will be our candidate. But I want to tell them they should not panic because there is a process in place.
“We will announce our candidate at the right time — that's our secret weapon."