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 that started yesterday.
ODM legal officer and Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’ said the new posts would only be filled by NGC after the elections are over.
The 2,830 delegates were due to vote for 27 party positions in the ODM constitution before yesterday’s additions .
Coast delegates stormed out after the creation of the extra posts of two deputy party leaders and deputy secretary generals but walked back shortly after.
They said it made a mockery of the election process.
They wanted Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho to become the single deputy party leader since the Coast overwhelmingly voted for ODM in the last elections.
The NGC chaired by Rail last week decided to create the new posts.
Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho and Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya are contesting for deputy party leader but the loser will now also become deputy party leader.
Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba and Senator Agnes Zani were competing for ODM Secretary General but the loser can now become deputy SG.
Raila said the creation of the new positions was aimed at making the party stronger.
“I don’t want to see elections dividing us but there are those who want us to see us divided,” Raila told the delegates.
“This is a friendly match. In a friendly match you don’t injure your competitor because when the game with the enemy comes, you will need him.” Raila said.
He accused the Jubilee government of getting its priorities wrong. He said schoolchildren need classrooms not laptops. Raila said Cord will push for more powers for governors including chairing security committees at the county level.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka told delegates said he is still bitter that Jubilee side stole the last election. He claimed that no presidential candidate got over 50 percent.
He predicted that there will be an election before 2017 as Jubilee has been unable to govern.
“We are calling on the 47 governors to stand up for their rights,” said Kalonzo. The former Vice President claimed the new government was not keen on devolution, freedom of the press and civil society.
During the meeting, the NDC also created positions for secretaries of Political Affairs, Disability affairs, Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Special Programmes, Devolution, Parliamentary Affairs Senate, Parliamentary Affairs National Senate and Secretary for Lands and Natural resources.