ODM grassroots elections set for today may be marred with ugly incidences after a section of members vowed to disrupt the exercise, claiming lack of transparency.
Different factions have emerged in Mombasa, disgruntled with the process based on previous incidences.
One faction, led by human rights activist Betty Sharon, a candidate for the ODM Mombasa county secretary general position, said they are pessimistic about the transparency of the elections.
They are demanding the revocation of ODM county chairman Mohamed Hamis’ nomination as an MCA in Mombasa county.
They accuse him of favouritism and bias towards a certain group of party members at the expense of others.
Trouble started last week when Sharon’s faction called for transparency in the election process, claiming there might be a list of preferred candidates set to be rigged in.
However, county chairman Hamis dismissed the faction as “busybodies out to cause mayhem”.
But Sharon said,
“He should know that we are bona fide members of the party and some of us are lifelong members. He was selected to the position and not elected.”
Hamis said the accusations against him are baseless.
He said he has no delegates that he is fronting as the party has its members who will elect their preferred leaders, either through consensus or the ballot.
“They are afraid of the elections, especially when the party decides on consensus. I am not the one to decide what method will be used, it is the mandate of the top leadership of the party,” Hamis said on the phone.
He said it is the party’s election board that decides on matters to do with elections, adding that if there is consensus, there will be no need for elections.
“I do not oversee the elections. There are people appointed to that. I don’t know why some people are afraid,” Hamis said.
He said the elections will solely focus on polling station level seats.
The ODM National Elections Coordinating Committee, chaired by Emily Awita, announced there will be elections of thirty party officials, 10 each from the three committees at each polling unit/centre.
The three committees include the mainstream, women league and youth league.
The mainstream elections will include positions of chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, organising secretary, treasurer, women leader, youth leader and three committee members.
These also apply for the women league and youth league committee.
Hamis said the ODM party members crying wolf are tribal, adding they all come from one community, which should not be the case.
“This ODM is a national party that is open to any member from any community in Kenya, not just one,” he said.
Yesterday, another faction allied to Tobias Samba, said they are ready for the elections and urged members to come out in numbers to exercise their right to vote.
Two election commissioners, who will be overseeing today’s election, Brian Omondi and Charles Rambo said everything is set for the polls.
Omondi said the elections will be conducted at all designated IEBC polling stations.
“The duly registered party members will be eligible to participate in the process of electing delegates who will proceed towards electing party officials from the county level,” he said.
“As the election commissioners duly nominated to oversee the election would like to assure all candidates and stakeholders that the election will be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.”
The candidates should carry their national IDs. Rambo said no one should fear as security will be beefed up.
This is because the Sharon faction had threatened to conduct parallel elections “because they do not trust the party process”.
“No monkey business will be allowed this time around,” he said.
