Saturday, 17 August 2013

Cord leaders defy Raila on referendum


Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga arriving at Flamingo beach hotel accompanied Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho, Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir and Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba for a local leaders meeting. Photo/LABAN WALLOGA
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga arriving at Flamingo beach hotel accompanied Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho, Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir and Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba for a local leaders meeting. Photo/LABAN WALLOGA

In Summary
Cord leaders in Mombasa openly differed with their coalition boss Raila Odinga over the push for referendum, saying they were not involved in planning for the campaign.
Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar said the time for politicking was over and Cord elected leaders should concentrate on delivering their promises to voters.
“What is the rationale of a parliamentary system? Were our views as Coast leadership sought by the coalition leaders before they started the referendum push?” he asked, saying they should have been involved from the word go.
His sentiments were backed by area governor Ali Hassan Joho, seven MPs and 30 ward representatives.
But addressing the county leadership at Flamingo Beach Hotel on Thursday night, Mr Odinga said the Cord leaders had earlier met “experts” at Serena Beach Hotel to review among others their performance in the March 4 elections.
“Our critics are missing the point for two-prong push to amend the Constitution. There is no perfect Constitution in the world,” he said.
He explained that the presidential system had made it difficult to run the government. “The President and his deputy and their Cabinet Secretaries are not MPs so it becomes difficult for the National Assembly to question the Executive on different issues affecting the country,” he said.
He cautioned elected Cord leaders to be wary of the Jubilee Government’s ‘trickery’ to woo them claiming that its leadership was against the devolved system and wanted to control everything from Nairobi.
“We want a government where ministers can be accountable to Parliament,” he added.

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