‘We want power’

Eyes on new President General

DP’s internal democratic values will be put to test in a few weeks’ time when its party delegates convene in Gulu for their conference. Top on the agenda will be the vote for a new President General.

At the moment, there are five members who have either declared their candidature for the President General position and have begun de facto campaigns. Dr. Bayiga, after months of deliberation, the former MP for Buikwe South who also doubled as the shadow cabinet minister for health in the 9th Parliament intends to give a shot at the party presidency for a second consecutive time.

Other names in the hat are Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, the MP for Butambala County and Samuel Walter Lubega Mukaaku, the former presidential candidate in the 2011 general elections.

Dr. Bayiga has had several run-ins with Mao rebuking him for his administration’s continued usurping of powers of various party elected officials at NEC including the office of the Organizing Secretary.

However, DP party insiders say Lubega faces a hurdle in Article 64 (a) IV in the DP Constitution. Under this Article, Lubega must apply for a waiver or renunciation to be exempted for the said provision only if NEC deems it in the interest of the party.

Meanwhile, Brenda Nabukenya, the former Luweero Woman MP intends to stand against Mao. She says she wants to restore credible leadership, have accountability, revamp DP, and organize a cohesive membership within the party.

Mpuuga said he is not interested at the moment in the party presidency but he intends to support anyone within the party who gives DP a programme to take power and change the course of the party’s fortunes.

“If Comrade Mao wins a free and fair internal election, I will be right behind him but if he is trying to win a stolen election, I will oppose him from the time he will be declared.”

In several forums, Mao has repeatedly said that no matter what his detractors say, the DP remains “strong.”

In a Jan.28 press conference, Mao said DP was founded to fight for democracy, rule of law, constitutionalism and social justice. He said DP was founded for a reason, not a season.

“No struggle can succeed if secondary contradictions such as that among democracy-seeking forces take centre stage and the primary contradiction between the decadent Museveni regime and the people of Uganda is shoved aside.”

“Those working for change must start from a viewpoint that the struggle is not primarily a struggle for political office.  It is a liberation struggle. To reduce the struggle to a struggle for office is an insult to the Ugandan people,” Mao said.

“The biggest failure of any struggle is to fail to identify the true enemy. That seems to be the main failing of Uganda’s opposition today.”

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