Page 3 June 29,2013 / STANDARD ONSATURDAY NEWS Supremacy battle: Coalition seeks to reorganise in abid to play effective opposition rote CORD retreats to strategise how to keep Jubilee on toes By JUMA KWAYERA By JUMA KWAYERA CORD leaders are meeting in Mombasa to chart the alliance's future just days after losing a bad-tempered fight on the floor of the National Assembly, They hope to strike on a strategy that will allow them to spring back from a series of political defeats and provocations at the hands of their Jubilee alliance rivals, The coalition will also grapple with the role that will be played by their two most prominent leaders, ODM's Raila Odinga and Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka, who remain outside Parliament after losing the race to State House to the Jubilee duo of Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. Budalang'i MPAbabu Namwamba hints that CORDhopes to use its strength in the Senate and in the counties to check Jubilee's excesses. He says the coalition will look into ways of reorganising itself to play an effective opposition role in the bicameral House after the recent standoff on which of the two (Senate We want a strong coalition with loyal membership, not an election vehicle. We want to keep the goven1ment in check... while at the same time preparingfor next contest FROM LEFT: CORD leadersBungoma SenatorMoses wetangula, former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka andformer Prime Minister Raila Odlnga at a past pressbriefing. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD] Serena Beach Hotel, comes in the wake of a battle over budgetary allocations to counties and a decision by President Kenyatta to sign the Division of Revenue Bill into law without the input of the Senate. Many in CORD believe Jubilee is running roughshod over devolution and is increasingly frustrated House majority allows them to do so. Assess performance "(The meeting) grants us an opportunity to assess our performance at this point and plan how we move forward," explains Namwamba. "Wewant (to be) a strong coalition with loyal membership, not (just) an election vehicle.Wewant to keep government in check... while at the same time preparing for next contest. Todo this, we have to put our house in orde r." or National Assembly) is superior. The Coalition for Reform and Democracy has convened a meeting of its 24 Governors and 29 Senators, at which it will audit its performance in the last elections and as opposition to the two-month old Jubilee Government. The meeting, planned for He denied that the meeti ng would discuss the possibility of the top brass han ding the mantle to younger leaders. AJthough senior memb ers of the Coalition say the retreat is a housekeeping forum, The Standard On Saturday has reliably estab lished that the conduct of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Comm ission during the last General Election willcome up for discussion. This' was after IEBC chair Isaack Hassan on Thursday asked for six more months to publish the final tally, which should have been dispensed with 90 days after March 4 elections. AJso likely to feature is the performa nce of Nationa l Assemb ly Speaker Justin Muturi and his deputy, Dr Joyce Laboso, whose decisions Namwamba says "fall short of expectations". Namwamba was referring to Muturi's controversial verdict on President Kenyatta's assent to the Division of Revenue Bill without the Senate's input and Dr Labosos conduct during debate on budget amendments meant to move funds for primary school laptops to other votes - teachers' salaries, Auditor-General and Director of Public Prosecutions. The session was so out of contro l, there were reports of a CORD MP assaulting a Jubilee colleague. The controversy over Division of Revenue Bill created a wedge between the two houses, precipitating a supre macy contest with MPs th reate ning to repea l legislation on which Senate is anchored. Senators returned ~he favour by th reatening to collect a million signatures to determine which of the two is the lower House. ODM head of communication Phillip Etale says CORDprincipalsRaila, Kalonzo and Bungoina Senator an d Ford Kenya .l eader Moses Wetang'u1a, will address the SundayMonday meet ing. AJso invited are party officials and MPs an d Senators with responsibilities in Parliament, he says. "The principals want to strengthen Cord so that it can pile pressure on Jubilee to deliver its election pledges," says Etale. "The alliance is also worried that the executive is'planning to stymie devolution." Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama, who describes CORDas a "house with many bedrooms", says the retreat will inject rhythm and rhyme into how the alliance's MPs and Senators relate on matters related to devolution . ONLINE » To coment orblog on this and otherstories, Go to www.standardmedia.co.ke CAPTAINSOFPROFILES OF KENYA'S INDUSTRY,~~~I~CJ~ ODMembarks on restructuring partyorgans The Orange Democratic Movement starts rebuilding this Tuesday by appointment of staff to fillvacant positions at the secretariat. The reorganisation of the secretaria t, which is blamed forODM's inability to seize on its erstwhile popularity to dominate the Parliament, • is expected to provide the roadmap to re-engineering the party. The appointment of a party chief executive officer to replace Ms Janet Ong'era, who the party nominated to the Senate after the March 4 elections, comes at a time the party is smarting from confusion in articulation of party policy. ODM communications officer Phillip Etale confirmed the impending restructuring of party, saying the appointmeru of the CEOwill set the road map to the filling other vacant position in th e Nationa l Executive Council (NEC) and other levels, which fellvacanrafter previous holders defected to.other parties. "We expect the process to start next week after the conclusion of interviews for the chief executive position. There were 43 applicants, out which 10were shortlisted. The inter- . viewing panel has settled on one the party leader (Raila Odinga) will unveil next week," Mr Etale says. Interviewpanel He would not disclose names of the applicants nor the finalist. Butere MP Andrew Toposo chaired the interview panel. The appo intment of the chief executive will pave way for a National Governing Council (NGC) meeting scheduled for next Friday and Saturday at Bomas of Kenya. The NGC consists 47 county chairmen, parliamentary group (Senate and National Assembly) and NEC members. The meeting will set the agenda for the National Delegates Convention (NDC) to be held later in the year, according to Etale. However,although only the NDC is highest decision-making organ, Cord House Minority Leader in the Nationa l Assembly Jakoyo Midiwo hinted that dur ing the Bomas meeting, pro posals might be mad e for people to fill the position on an interim basis pe nding the decision of the NDC.