The ODM presidential flagbearer will be picked by the National Delegates Convention. According to the ODM election and nomination rules, the NDC will converge on November 29 and 30 formally nominate Prime Minister Raila Odinga as the party's candidate for the general election.
Before his departure from the Orange party for the United Democratic Forum party, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi had demanded that the nomination be done at the county level because the the NDC process would be undemocratic.
Last week, the ODM National Executive Committee and the Parliamentary Group endorsed Raila as the party’s presidential candidate during a retreat in Naivasha. They also endorsed a secret ballot for nominations.
"The members of the NDC shall convert into a national electoral college and nominate the presidential candidate,” states Rule 17.2 of of the party.
The Elections Act 2011 which commenced on November 1, 2011 requires political parties wishing to participate in the Election to submit party nomination rules three months to the primaries.This means that tomorrow is the deadline for the parties to submit the rules.
A schedule provided by the IEBC directs political parties to hold nominations by either January 18 or 45 days to election March 4 date. Meanwhile, party primaries for other positions will be either be conducted by universal suffrage of all registered party members at the sub-location or by ward electoral college.
Dissatisfied ODM members who lose in the primaries can either appeal at the county level after paying a non-refundable fee of Sh30,000. Appeals at the national level will however cost more than Sh70,000.
Meanwhile, Gichugu MP Martha Karua's Narc Kenya party which published its nomination rules in March, nearly seven months ahead of the deadline set by IEBC has allowed elections board to explore the possibility of electronic voting and tallying of results.
According to party nomination rules, all the elective positions will be advertised by the National Elections Board in a local daily “with wide circulation”.
The rules say registered party members will participate in the nomination of the candidates from the lowest to the highest level. “Nomination shall be by universal suffrage of party members,” the rules state. It adds that the nominations through the secret ballot as opposed to a national delegates’ conference.
