‘No elections at NRM party delegates conference’

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Communications Officer of the National Resistance Movement-NRM Secretariat Rogers Mulindwa has said those campaigning for leadership positions in the party are misleading because elections are not on the agenda of the January 25 Delegates’ Conference.

Speaking to URN on Wednesday, Mulindwa said that the National Delegates’ Conference which will be chaired by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, NRM national chairperson, has only five items on the agenda.

“It’s absurd that some of our leaders don’t know that this Delegates’ Conference is not about electing leaders. It has only five items on the agenda; prayer, communication from the National chairperson, performance report by the Secretary-General because for the last four years we have won many elective positions and then the constitutional amendment,” Mulindwa said.

Among the proposed amendments include lining behind candidates contesting for different positions in the party as opposed to the current system of secret ballot.

Previous NRM party primaries have been punctuated by fistfights, allegations of rigging, bribery, court cases among others. The party also says that the exercise requires a lot of money to pull off.

A similar amendment was made in the Local Government’s Act that saw LCI councils elected throughout the country in 2017 by lining behind the candidates.

Mulindwa said those hiding behind the claim that they are popularizing themselves so that by the next Delegates’ Conference that is expected to take place either in March or April this year, also forget that many of the current delegates might not be re-elected.

“I think those people should concentrate on what the Delegates’ Conference is about and stop engaging in diversionary issues because the main agenda was publicized by the chairman.

Anybody doing to the contrary is diverting our people from the main focus,” Mulindwa said.

Pictures of candidates interested in different positions in the party had started making rounds on social media. For example, Salim Uhuru is interested in replacing Godfrey Nyakana as the Vice-Chairperson Kampala, Godfrey Kiwanda, Sam Kutesa, Godfrey Mutabazi want to replace Hajji Abdul Nadduli as the vice chairman for Central Region.

Jacob Oulanyah also wants to replace Sam Engola as the vice chairman for Northern Uganda.

On Thursday, the Central Executive Committee-CEC will sit at Entebbe State House and discuss proposals which then will be presented to the National Executive Committee that will sit on January 24 still at State House. The proposals then from NEC will be presented to the National Delegates Conference for debate and adoption.

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URN