Ford Kenya delegates from Nyanza now want the party’s 2017 presidential candidate to be picked through the National Delegates Convention (NDC).
The officials noted that the recent announcement by party leader Moses Wetangula that he will soon launch his presidential candidature showed lack of respect for the party structures given that the party has not held a single NDC meeting since the 2013 general election.
The delegates who held a three day retreat in Homa Bay last week resolved to oppose any endorsement without the involvement of all the delegates countrywide.
“This is not how a mature party like Ford Kenya should operate. Our presidential nominations must be competitive, free and fair and if that is not respected then we will take a stern action against the party leader,” said regional party Coordinator Felix Minda.
In the retreat which brought together over 30 delegates from the seven counties in Nyanza, the participants issued a two-week ultimatum to the party leader to meet the Nyanza delegates or face unspecified consequences.
According to the regional coordinator, the party leader expressed what they termed as high level of impunity which has seen him ignore the party Constitution and operating as an individual.
Last month, another delegates meeting in Kisumu threatened to seek the help of the Registrar of Political Parties in order to push the party’s national leadership to comply with the rules.
The delegates also demanded to be allowed to have voice over the issuance of nomination certificates to candidates during the 2017 elections.
“It is the lack of coordination which saw us have people who have no interest of the party at heart given nomination slots in the County Assemblies and Parliament. It is time we must sit down with the party’s national leadership or we get an alternative presidential candidate,” said Minda.