Cord shelves plans to register the coalition as a political party.

Martin Oduor

November 17, 2016 10:38 AM

Jakoyo Midiwo rubbishes plans to register Cord as a political party.

The coalition for reforms and democracy has backtracked on a promise they made a while ago of registering Cord as a political party.

Minority leader, Jakoyo Midowo yesterday told the star that idea of registering Cord as a party was baseless.

“That is street talk and imagination. The central management committeehas never had that idea,” Midowo said.

The Gem MP, said Cord was more interested in strengthening its affiliate parties rather than dissolving them.

“We have no such idea at all, that is the creation of Kikuyu-Kalenjin imagination,” the lawmker said.

In the month of September, Wiper leader, Kalonzo Musyoka proposed that Cord be registered as a political party, in order to curb the influence of Jubilee party wave, that was sweeping across the country ahead of the 2017 elections.

In his plan, Kalonzo stated that the presidential candidate from Cord runs under a cord party, rather than their sponsored individual party, in order to strengthen the opposition and work for all Cord affiliate parties as well..

"Nominations can be done in ODM, Ford-Kenya and Wiper parties then the winners can vie for the Cord ticket,” the wiper leader told daily nation.

Cord principal, Raila Odinga would later on support the idea, He instructed the Cord management committee co-chairs, James Orengo and Johnstone Muthama to kick start the process of registering Cord as a single “corporate” Cord Party.

However contrary to the Jubilee party format, Cord affiliated parties would not dissolve their parties but retain their identities.

It is understood that in house fighting and competing interests among the affiliate parties have scuttled the process, which would have seen Cord stronger and allay fears of widening cracks within the coalition.

Martin Oduor