Sunday, May 23, 2010

Raila says NO

As the YES team held its second major rally in the city's Embakasi constituency on Saturday, confusion reigned over the funding of its campaigns as Prime Minister Raila Odinga rejected calls by the Yes secretariat for financial support from the treasury.

This comes barely a day after the secretariat denied receiving funding from the treasury for its referendum campaign, saying it was in the process of drafting a proposal to request money from the government.

Wrangles between the coalition partners PNU and ODM over the funding of the yes campaigns have been simmering with both parties expressing fears of being excluded from the kitty.

MPs opposed to the draft had questioned the funding of the Yes campaigns saying they should also receive campaign money from the government as those opposed to the document were taxpayers as well.

On Friday the secretariat maintained that it deserved receiving funding from the government since the proposed constitution was a government project.

He further denied infighting within the Yes camp over the funds.

Meanwhile the NO camp pitched camp in Kituo on Saturday where they called on locals to reject the proposed constitution based on flawed clauses.

Led by Higher Education Minister William Ruto and Information minister Samuel Porghisio, the no crusaders said Kenyans should be told the truth that emending anything in the document would take more than four years.

Joined by sections of the clergy and members of the public, they said it would be a big mistake for the referendum to proceed with the magnitude of mistakes in it.

The red team took issue with the move by the Yes team to fund its referendum campaigns using public coffers saying it was an opportunity for some politicians to enrich themselves

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