THE National Delegates Convention of ODM was yesterday called off after it broke down in chaos when some delegates demanded the official list of delegates.
The anti-riot police were called into the Kasarani gymnasium and delegates were ordered to leave the auditorium shortly after 5.40 pm
Voting had just started through secret ballot when some delegates led by nominated MP Isaac Mwaura at 5.20pm disrupted the exercise claiming that there was more than one register.
In the ensuing confusion, youths destroyed some of the ballot boxes and ballot papers. They went up onto the dais and jostled party leaders forcing them to call in anti-riot police.
Outgoing Secretary General Anyang Nyongo then called off indefinitely the election and instructed delegates to go to the party headquarters at Orange House to collect their facilitation money and travel back to their home areas.
Earlier delegates, especially from the Coast, had been upset about the creation of new leadership positions. In the afternoon the delegates endorsed by acclamation a proposal by the National Governing Council to create additional positions including a second deputy party leader, second deputy secretary general and second deputy chairperson.
ODM party leader Raila Odinga was apparently preparing to appease those candidates who would lose in the party polls.