The old tricks that worked like a gem during the 2002 party nominations have this time failed to work.
Let me explain. In 2002 the Summit as it was then called made unilateral decisions and over-ruled the voters concerning various candidates who had lost party nominations countrywide and instead ended up handing over the precious nomination certificate to many losers. Many folks did not even know what the real nomination outcome had been in many areas of the country.
This time round things were very different. Voters have just said “No” and have complained bitterly. Using technological gadgets like the mobile phone and instant messaging online, as well as email, most Kenyans were very well informed on what was going on on the ground. What most people noticed was that those who had emerged as winners on the ground were often the losers when party headquarters released the names of nominated candidates to the press.
In some areas voters have been very incensed by what they see as a deliberate effort to impose candidates on them. Impeccable sources from the ground tell me that a significant number of voters in Kisumu rural have vowed not to vote in the general elections as a way of protesting the direct nomination of Prof Anyang Nyong. While these threats may quickly be forgotten when the campaign gets under way, it is clear...
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The 5 most popular stories in Kumekucha today 19th Nov
Chris. Tells us about the ODM headquarters? what happened? has it been burned to the ground? Who did it and why? Was it the work of the PNU? haha! ha! he! Please post some information on ODM and Raila popularity. Also tell us how the ODM plans to change Kenya and confirm whether the ODM nominations are part of these planned constitutional changes. Kioko. BC, Canada. Kazi iendeleeee.
ReplyDeletePS. Where is Dick Morris? where is Deya? Where is Raila Odinga?
If ODM cannot control their own monester how do they hope to rule the whole country? God save us this disgrace!
ReplyDeleteMy relative lost the ODMK nominations but very litte can be blamed on the party. In my opinion, ODMK which is not necessarily blameless as a party is the only party with some understanding about democracy. Mwingi North, South and Mbooni were open for contention from the word go. I am so proud of Kalonzo because he seems the only person in Kenya who understands the essence of competitive politics. In 2002, he rejected the offer for direct nomination. He and JJ Kamotho were the only so called summit members who expressed their wish to be subjected to the rigours of nominations. The issue is not whether Anyang Nyong'o would have won or not, the issue is promotion of democracy or the sabotage of it. Form your own warped opinion if you must, but my take is that giving direct nomination to ANYBODY is the height of cowardice.
ReplyDeleteI think what we need to ask ourselves is what needs to be done to uphold the spirit of democracy in nominations. They have been a fiasco all along. 2002, as Chris says was a joke as well. In my opinion, the exchequer should increase their ballot allocation to Kivuitu and mandate him and his commission to carry out the nominations. There should be a ceilling on how much political parties should charge as nomination fees because honestly that money is misused. I mean, there has to be some semblance of fairness, order, civility and competitiveness! It is only by having such legal cushions that we can tame the craze of shifting parties.
Who owns political parties in Kenya? Time has come for political parties to be given back to their real owners---the people!
There is no difference between direct nomination and stuffing of ballot papers already ticked in one candidates favor and passing them as good results!If anything the later is worse.
ReplyDeleteYes ECK should really handle party nominations that's for sure, also the defection law shld be in place at the nomination stage.
However the Media is over excited about ODM's problems. Let other people celebrate one can only learn from mistakes. PNU will fry themselves in the main elections what with many candidates in one area.ODM's test might be now, PNU's will come later.As for ODM-K who knows maybe kuna miujiza tutaona?
The recently concluded ODM nominations, I can tell anyone who cares to listen, are the biggest and most successful primaries ever undertaken by any political party in independence Kenya.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, ODM nominations are deemed to be bigger and more competitive than the general election itself, and even ECK Chairman Kivuitu will tell you, he has never presided over an electin where there are more than 40 candidates per constituency nor nearly 70 persons per civic seat (as happened in Serangombe in Kibera's Langata Constituency).
This is history unfolding in this country and yet this blog is full of analysis's trying to tell us how ODM nominations were a sham.
Which political party has ever done what ODM has done? Of course there are mistakes here and there, but please remember this party is relying on volunteers as returning officers as well volunteers are security officers. No ECK returing officers nor Kenya Admin police; but very determined candidates (including PNU/Narc-K moles)and die hard party members. Kwach and co may have not achieved 100% marks, yet it was done, in light of a very rigid deadline to submit register by mid night saturday to the ECK.
I am taking this opportunity to congratulate ODM Election Board for a task well done by awarding them 85%. This is my humble view and not a jibe at anyone or any party.
Thank God ODM has not had to arrange press conferences to receive 'candidates' who have been rejected by voters. ODM has not had to go on a nomination certificate issuing spree; like some parties have. Thank God, victory is now very much within sight.
Phil you have althe right to see light is a very dark tunnel. So you say the FIASCO was a sprinkling of problem here and there? Well when you only choose to see a flies wings oblivious of the deadly FILTH on its feet then you are sitting on an epidemic waiting to erupt.
ReplyDeleteThat said the FIASCO and chaos in all the 'big' parties generally is a reflection of our incompetence as a nation. We know what we wnat but are not ready to be involved. India is the biggest democracy because most of its electoral process is by civil societies and volunteers. By the way India's ECK-equivalent has less than 20 commissioners. Compare that with our 22 for 14m voters India has more than 600 million voters.
All parties must be condemned for defrauding aspirants of nominations fees with no commensurate service. They are as guity as charged. Even in this era of multi-millionares KES 130,000 is a tidy sum for any middle class Kenyan (if there are any left).
ODM and co SHOULD have employed LOGISTICS and encouraged structured and desciplined volunteers for its nomination. But Kenyans are equaly smart and know its harvest time and once elected the (wazi)miwas will be smilling all the way to the bank only to resurface 2012. Being no fools they are reaping to the maximum and cannot afford the luxury of volunters.
My take is that we need a RE-EVALUATION of our national values lest we disappear into the moral doldrums. We must support KJ now and start reclaiming out lost motherland now and not tomorrow.
Asking ECK to prefect party nominations is not only expensive but will be a kin to conducting the general election twice. It is us as Kenyans to put things right. Otherwise all the TV camera vows are just shows of sponteneous anger. Trust Kenyans with their short memory and come Dec 27 they will gift us with more SCOUNDRELS. Poor Kenya and Kenyans, who will save us from these savages? Na bado.
I must agree with Phil. The ODM nominations, while clearly not 100% perfect, were way better than expected ...and the fallout is manageable. That said, before you call it a demonstration of cartoon democracy you must first appreciate the monstrosity of the task. The problem is that every wannabe politician wants to be affiliated with Raila the winner. You see, ODM is that cute and sexy chick in the estate that everybody wants to date, whereas ODM-K is that 'hot' mboch of last resort. When the dust settles, you will come to accept that those who've crossed over from ODM to ODM-K and other fringe parties, are mostly weak candidates whose defections will not sink the ship. The 'benefit' to Safina, ODM-K, KENDA and others is simply an opportunity to hoodwink Kenyans that they are now 'national parties'. Now, of course there are some legitimately aggrieved jamaas but such is the nature of democracy….in my opinion, Al Gore is the most aggrieved and disenfranchised candidate in the history of democracy itself.
ReplyDeleteBack to Kenya, let us agree that ours is a nurturing democracy. The mere fact that over 30 candidates can vie for one open slot is proof that we are still in the teething stages. Further, our political parties (esp. PNU and KENDA) are simply vehicles to power lacking the political will to form legitimate governing structures. To expect such contraptions to host first class nomination exercises is an order too tall. I think we will continue to see chaotic nominations until a time when our political parties reach puberty. In the meantime, please get accustomed to news of gun-totting nomination losers showing up at party secretariats with ill motives….as was the case in Kibakis party.
Vikii, Did man like Kalosh stuff ballot boxes during the ODM-K presidential nominations? I think there were pictures in some newspapers. In my humble estimation, that is the unreachable height of terrifying fear and cowardice……..rigging when you are pretty much the only candidate.
I read one banner in Nyanza with a mod dancing around it saying NO DAIMA, KIBAKI TENA.
ReplyDeleteWho overlooked the party nominations on Nyanza? Justice (CRPT) Richard Otieno Kwach.
For me, it is KIBAKI TENA Kazi iendelee!!!