ODM party should temporarily suspend its grassroots elections in its strongholds and suspend party members who have allegedly been sponsoring chaos, a top national executive member has said.
Speaking in his stronghold Gekano, Nyamira chairman Mr Timothy Bosire urged the National Elections Board led by Hon. Judy Pareno to temporarily suspend the elections especially in Nyanza and Western regions to allow time for investigations into chaos that have marred elections.
He accused a section of members running for grassroots seats of colluding with the ruling Jubilee coalition to destabilise the party in its strongholds.
“I have intelligence that some people who want leadership positions are being sponsored by Jubilee to cause chaos in our elections. These individuals want our party to be perceived undemocratic and I call upon the elections board to suspend the elections and investigate chaos that have marred polls in some areas,” he said.
Mr Bosire who is also the party’s National Treasurer said suspension of the elections will also give the party time seek a lasting methodology to be used in choosing officials from the regions.
“I think everybody has seen that only our strongholds are having issues and we have to stop the polls. Then we can have time to come up with other methodologies of choosing leaders because the constitution of the party has other provisions. Jubilee is using the rift to create more chaos,” he added.
He said the party risked losing members in the elections given the stiff competitions with many groups said to be challenging the outcome.
“We saw it in Migori and on Tuesday it was in Kisumu. We are not ready to lose members and it will be essential if top contestants are put into a negotiating table to avert a possible mass exodus from the party,” Mr Bosire said.