- ODM wants to walk away since it does not want to pay other partners money from the Registrar of Political Parties
- Repeatedly, we have said NASA is alive and intact and whoever wants to leave should just follow the exit clause that is there
Image: REUTERS:
A war of words has erupted in Nasa following recent remarks by the coalition leader Raila Odinga that the outfit is as good as dead.
The ODM leader, who alongside Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) formed the opposition alliance ahead of the 2017 election, on Friday said Nasa is dead.
“Nasa was a pre-election coalition, but if you have not won (then) that coalition automatically collapses,” Raila said in an interview on Citizen TV.
This statement has caused a storm in Mudavadi, Kalonzo and Wetang'ula’s camps, which view the move as another betrayal by Raila.
It was assumed that the ODM supremo would support one of the three co-principals under the Nasa umbrella in reciprocation of the 2017 endorsement, in which they all shelved their presidential bids to back him.
The co-principals had earlier labelled him a betrayer after he went to meet President Uhuru Kenyatta without informing them.
Yesterday, Wiper said they are ready for any eventuality but warned the move will come to haunt the opposition chief in his future attempts to cobble up alliances with other players.
Wiper executive director Jared Siso, who is also a close ally of former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said ODM should follow the due procedure to disengage and avoid playing politics.
“Raila is that strange soldier who abandons troops at the centre of war. As per the agreement that was deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties, we can only dissolve when three parties write to the Registrar,” Siso said on the phone.
“If Raila has decided to get new partners, we wish him well. All we know is that this will haunt him and the rest of his cheer groups as you know we are headed to coalition building, emerging formations and I want to see a new partnership that does not want to learn from past experiences of a partner’s engagement with others,” he asaid.
He challenged Raila to formally communicate to the registrar of the ODM’s intention to leave the communication.
Ford Kenya secretary general Simiyu Eseli said ODM wants to walk away since it may be convenient for them to leave because they owe other coalition members money from the Exchequer.
“It would be good for them not to pay the other partners that money but we will ensure it never happens,” he vowed.
Eseli said Raila, having been their flag bearer and thus the leader of the Nasa team, is well aware of the coalition document they signed.
“It says that if it is only one party leaving, Nasa will remain intact. Raila should be honest and organise for ODM to leave the coalition by writing to the Registrar of Political Parties other than issue threats,” he said.
He reiterated that leaving Nasa will not stop ODM from paying coalition partners the money from the Registrar of Political.
“Raila may be uncomfortable with certain agreements in the Nasa coalition: That he may not be the automatic flag bearer in 2022 and wants to run away from it just the way he ran away from Cord,” he added.
The Tongaren MP said Ford Kenya appreciates what Raila has done for the country by being among those who were at the forefront in fighting for multiparty democracy.
“We will always give him credit for that but that will not stop us from correcting him when he is wrong,” he said.
ANC secretary general Barack Muluka and party chairman Kelvin Lunani said ODM should quit Nasa instead of saying the coalition is dead.
“Repeatedly, we have said Nasa is alive and intact and whoever wants to leave should just follow the exit clause that is there,” Muluka said.
He added that the other affiliate parties have never shown signs of leaving.
“As ANC, we are looking forward to working with other like-minded parties. It is about numbers and we want to bring as many people on board,” he added.
“They should write to the registrar of political parties to start the process of leaving. The rest of us have no problem with each other.”
Raila’s party has been threatening to leave Nasa even though a clause in the coalition agreement makes such a move ineffectual.
For the coalition to come to an end, three of the affiliates (ANC, Ford Kenya, ODM and Wiper) must leave the alliance. It means a decision by the Orange party to walk away would still leave the coalition intact. NASA partners are stuck together until 2022,
During the Kibra by-election in November, ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna threatened that his party would leave the coalition.
ODM has also been on the spot for appearing to treat its partners as lesser partners. This came out openly after it refused to share money from the political parties fund with its affiliates.