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HERE is the LAST WORD on ‘INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES’

HERE is the LAST WORD on ‘INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES’

May 23, 2017 Leave a Comment

By Jackson omondi

For starters, we all know that the primaries were less than perfect and if anyone thinks otherwise, they are just being duplicitous and flat out economical with the truth.

Secondly, if the ‘winners’ are so confident about their political might, why can’t they just wait and prove it at the ballot?

If we in NASA came together weaved in a common ideology, why are we having trouble embracing our team members who feel that they didn’t get a levelled playing field in the primaries? Do they automatically jettison their ideals just because they are using other vehicles to parliament, governors mansions etc?

To those who ‘won’ the nominations, I say good luck and to those who still believe in the struggle and, should they win, will still caucus with ODM in parliament or champion NASA’s agenda, I say best of luck to you!

Let’s be honest with one another. Those independent candidates do have legions of supporters whose voice must be heard. We can’t push them away or give them the middle finger. We need all their votes and any attempt to silence them will lead to unnecessary voter apathy that will end up hurting us on the margins.

Imagine the thousands of votes that would sublime if those supporting the independent gubernatorial candidates were told that their votes don’t count? All the three luo nyanza gubernatorial races are sporting independent candidates with hundreds of thousands of votes.

Empirically speaking, that’s approximately 600,000 votes on the chopping board. Put differently, if those voters get bumped away, the upshot will be like having a third horse in the presidential race who will essentially eat into NASA’s bloc (Read Mudavadi’s 2013 tally or Kalonzo’s 2007 vote totals). We can’t afford that. We will need all the votes that we can get.

And to those supporting the independent candidates, please exercise caution in your rhetoric. You can disagree with the premise or decree but do it with utmost decorum. Sabre rattling and threats do no good to your cause. Attacking or spewing disparaging remarks about the person of RAO is not smart.

Equating your supposed ‘horse’ to RAO is tantamount to political suicide. And if you truly believe that you have what it takes to win, then for Pete’s sake, campaign on the issues.

The stakes are too high to engage in friendly fire. Leave the 3- piece or 6- piece stuff to tailors. We have work to do.

Filed Under: Opinion

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