NASA to pick flag-bearer through consensus; 27.03.2017

One of the NASA principals, Musalia Mudavadi, has said the coalition flagbearer will be picked through consensus. Mr Mudavadi, who is the Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader and is also eyeing the joint Opposition presidential ticket, said the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) would promptly inform Kenyans when they settle on a particular candidate. Speaking in Rongai, Kajiado County, yesterday, he said Kenyans should expect communication from the committee. Mudavadi said there was no cause for alarm and the fact that NASA was yet to announce its presidential candidate should not be misconstrued to mean there was a deadlock in the Opposition regarding who should be the flag bearer. "We still have a lot of time ahead given the IEBC timelines. We still have party primaries, which will take the whole of April and the better part of May. It is after that the attention will now shift to naming presidential candidates," said Mudavadi. He said it would be confusing if reports on how the NASA presidential flag bearer would be coming from various quarters. ALSO READ: Opinion: Prayers alone won’t solve our problems Opposition supporters have waited for the naming of a presidential candidate by the NASA coalition with bated breath. If it holds together, this would be the second time in Kenya's history for a mighty coalition to come together to face a sitting government. In 2002, Uhuru Kenyatta, then a Kanu aspirant, was beaten by such a formation; NARC. Mudavadi, who was flanked by ANC party officials, defended the Opposition's plans to have a parallel tallying centre for presidential votes in the August elections. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka courted controversy when he said on Friday at Muliro Grounds in Mathare that NASA would have a parallel vote tallying centre for the August 8 General Election. "What we mean is that the IEBC needs to demonstrate to the voters that indeed they are committed to delivering foolproof results. That is what every Kenyan wants," said Mudavadi. The statement has elicited lots of reactions from Jubilee, with Deputy President William Ruto accusing the Opposition of threatening to usurp the powers and responsibilities of a constitutionally-mandated institution; the IEBC. Mudavadi said a NASA government would enforce the one-third gender rule. ALSO READ: How previous losers won this year’s Sh3.7 billion polls kit tender
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