The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Democratic Party-DP President Norbert Mao has said although the party was saddened by the defection of 11 of its 15 Members of Parliament and other senior members to the National Unity Platform-NUP headed by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, they are working around the clock to replace them.
Speaking at the party headquarters at Balintuma Road in Mengo Kampala on Tuesday, Mao said he is going to concentrate his energies and time to rebuild the party he said has withstood more turbulences than last week’s defections. Mao said the defections of senior members of the party has allowed them to build afresh.
Speaking at a function organized to swear in party leaders in Kampala and Wakiso district, Mao said as DP, they will continue to fish from the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party which he referred to as the lake, unlike the NUP which he said fishes from a pond.
While Mao was speaking, a group of NUP supporters moving on motorcycles honking horns and chanting People Power and Bobi Wine slogans passed by interrupting Mao’s speech.
Frank Gashumba, a political commentator criticized DP members who defected to NUP.
Gashumba said that people who believe in true democracy and party ideology even when they have internal problems fight within rather than defect. He wondered if they had failed to defeat Mao, how they would defeat President Museveni.
Gashumba also took issue with people claiming to be more NUP than others. He said he embraced Bobi Wine when all senior politicians had shunned him. He said many of those who crossed to NUP are looking at retaining their seats but not fighting to defeat President Museveni.
Christopher Okidi, the President of the Uganda Young Democrats said that NUP celebrating the acquisition of DP members is self-defeating because they were already opposition members who add close to nothing in the war of liberating Uganda from the 35-year-old rule of President Museveni.
Richard Ssebuliba Mutumba Muddwawulira said DP committed members should persevere because this isn’t the first and last turbulence they will experience.
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