Uncertainty now clouds plans by Nasa to have a National People’s Convention (NPC) Wednesday as earlier scheduled following recent internal wrangles witnessed among the affiliate parties.
Conceived as a reaction to the coalition’s boycott of the October 26 repeat presidential election, the People’s assemblies were meant to trigger Article 1 of the Constitution and give its supporters the right to directly exercise sovereignty power even as they pushed for another presidential election possibly by August this year.
The coalition considered the assemblies as the road map towards holding a free and fair election, or the path of self-determination and lined up a series of events that would have culminated with the NPC tomorrow.
Dr Oduor Ong’wen, a member of the People’s assembly organising committee, said Monday that plans for NPC remain on course but discounted claims the event had been set for February 28.
“As a committee, we shall meet this week to finalise on the programme and agenda of the day.
“The date may vary a little but we will announce the road-map with all the details,” Dr Ong’wen, who is also the ODM executive director, told the Daily Nation.
Nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi said deadline setting the end of this month for the NPC can be varied.
“What matters is the resolve of the people which is there. The setting up of the convention where a number of issues will be put on the table is still on,” he said adding “We have already sworn in our president and we now need a council under him to help him in his work.”
Wiper Party acting secretary general Peter Mathuki seemed to pour cold water on the event.
“The initial plan was for the process to be undertaken in stages. We were to first have the people’s assemblies, then hold the convention where issues of reforms were to be deliberated upon before the swearing in of the people’s president,” he said adding “now that the swearing in has happened there may be no need for the convention.”
Ford Kenya deputy leader Boni Khalwale said even though the tentative date for the NPC had been set for February 28, it was unlikely to take place due to what he described as “dynamics of the swearing in of Mr Odinga.”
“The dynamics of the swearing in of Mr Odinga brought confusion in the organs of Nasa. So far there has been no decision on the convention. It will not be held, at least for now,” he said
Mr Odinga’s ODM party has come into sharp attack over its domineering tendencies in the coalition.
Last week,Wiper Party caused a stir in the coalition when, with the support of Jubilee, forced through Borabu MP Bernard Momanyi name to the Parliamentary Service Commission as a member.
A day earlier, the Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi had rejected calls for another election in August, urging the coalition to shift focus on 2022 General Election.
Angered by these events, ODM on Friday announced it was ready to go it alone in the 2022 General Election if pushed by other partners in the coalition.
Nasa leadership has already launched people’s assemblies in Coast, Western, Ukambani and Nyanza which, according to the Nasa’s own programme.
-nation.co.ke
