Daily Nation OP-ED Page: The art of eviscerating a column

While reading a Shashi Tharoor authored OP-Ed column in Today's Daily Nation, I could not help but feeling something was amiss. The article seemed to have been missing some detail and ended to rapidly before the author had communicated his essential message (it reads simply as a report of the recent elections and not an actually analysis of the same), a quick google search returned this fuller and more nuanced accounting and analysis of the aftermath of the March 6 elections. Clearly the Nation newspaper did a disservice to its readers and the author of this article and needs to look into its editorial policy of shortening articles, evisceration at this level is unwarranted.

ODM: INTERNAL DEMOCRACY CRUCIAL

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana

To avoid the unmitigated disaster that followed the aftermath of Ford-Kenya elections in 1997, to avoid the fiasco that was KANU 2002 and the catastrophe that was ODM-Kenya in 2007, the Prime Minister and his men need to embrace robust internal democracy in ODM. Mr. Odinga’s political history is replete with examples of his failure to embrace intra-party democracy, what the Deputy Prime Minister’s challenge offers him, is an opportunity to confound his critics and prove his intra-party democratic bona fides finally. He needs to do this by acquiescing to an open, transparent and vigorous process to elect the party’s flag bearer, he needs to eschew giving lip service to party democracy and demonstrate that he wholeheartedly embraces it, without regard to the ultimate outcome.

In addition to confounding his critics, a strong and independent Musalia Mudavadi would go a long way toward re-branding ODM from being simply the party of Raila. The appeal of the party would only grow if it showed the maturity it would take to accommodate two top tier presidential candidates. It would also be much easier to expand the appeal of ODM to other areas of the country (outside its main support bases in Nyanza, Western, Coast and Nairobi), with Mudavadi as a credible presidential candidate, as opposed to simply being Odinga’s number two (witness Mudavadi’s recent forays to non-ODM areas in Nakuru, Kiambu and Nyahururu).

An internal primary would also serve to sharpen ODM’s message during the general election. If the process is a truly democratic and issue-oriented one (consider the Republican Primaries in the United States), then the party will have the opportunity to iron out ideological differences and streamline the party’s policy positions and overall message to the broader populace. This can only serve to strengthen the party’s position in the General Election.

The party primaries would also serve as a solid dress rehearsal for the general election. Consider if you will, the great benefits that accrued to Barack Obama from having the strong challenge from Hilary Clinton in 2008. Not only was Mr. Obama able to prove his political mettle, he was able to deal with his greatest perceived weakness (inexperience) early in the process; such that by the time his general election opponent tried to raise the issue, it had been completely blunted. His team was also able to refine its policy positions and message themes, as well as, streamlining is voter outreach system; all aspects of the campaign that worked to great effect on November 4th 2008.

The Prime Minster and his supporters should embrace internal democracy, not only to avoid the pitfalls of the past, but as it is the right thing to do, considering the potential benefits likely to accrue to the party from having a robust competition between Raila and Mudavadi.

“Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Winston Churchill

Shooting Theyself on the foot: Raila Statement

If the statement titled “Forged UK Dossier” (SN March 11, 2012), is indeed genuine, then the authors did a great disservice to the Prime Minister by insinuating that Messer’s Ruto and Kenyatta should be arrested. The overall thrust of the statement communicated the essential message, that the dossier tabled in parliament was a forgery targeted at the Prime Minister.

However, by intimating that the Ocampo 4 should be in prison, the authors of this statement, diverted attention away from the essential message and guaranteed that the headline would be “Uhuru and Ruto ought to be in Jail…” This headline plays right into the hands of the PM’s detractors and those ignoble individuals who seek to impugn the ICC process by arguing it is a plot between “local and foreign powers” to guarantee Raila’s election. In addition, the call for arrest essentially “confirms” the argument propounded in the “UK dossier” that “The way forward is to push for detention at the court on the pretext that they are a security threat.”

From a public relations stand point (and considering the Prime Minister’s previous reticence toward commenting on the case) this statement has done tremendous damage to the PM’s cause and feeds into the “perception” that he is rooting for the downfall of his opponents, and in politics, perception soon becomes reality.