Thursday , November 7 2024

COMMENT: The Democratic Party shall never die

Politicians would, in most cases, prefer a government of national unity or a coalition government because it makes them “eat” – after all, politics means sharing power and money. If one goes into politics and later leaves it without having made money or wealth then there is something terribly wrong with that person’s head.

With a broad-based government, President Museveni  retains the powers and freedom to decide  which portfolio to offer to the  person coming  into the government, and  at the  same time  he can fire him/her  at any time  he wishes.

Many Ugandans expected Museveni to form a government of national unity after the 2016 general elections as a solution to so many political problems, but he completely ignored it. It would have brought him to a round table  to negotiate with the opposition FDC flag bearer , Kiiza Besigye, the details of forming that kind of  government.

What is required of DP now?

The Democratic Party has not been in power since 1961 when it led this country into internal self-government.  Now with big political changes coming in the year 2021 in the leadership of this country, DP needs a political road map.

When DP celebrated 62 years of  existence and operation, it  was suggested that the  Party Constitution  should be  amended to allow any member of the  party to be  chosen as  the  party’s  flag bearer in Uganda’s  general elections. If this is done in the next Annual Delegates Conference, it will be very good for both the party and the country.

The DP leader in the Buganda Region, the fiery Iron Lady Betty Nambooze, MP for Mukono Municipality will convene a meeting of the party in Buganda on March 31, 2017 at Nsambya Sharing Hall, purposely to debate such reforms within the Party in preparation for the 2021 General Elections.

MP Nambooze has already come out with a strong statement; that “it is high time that we carried out major reforms in the Party.  We need to re-brand, come up with a code of conduct for members, we discuss the terms of office for leaders, and one year is so short a time.  It is high time we also separate the DP Leadership from the party’s flag bearers”.

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I strongly suggest that at  the forthcoming DP Annual Delegates Conference, if the  President General is from the North (as it is  now) then the  Secretary General should be  either  Salongo Elias Lukwago (Lord Mayor), or  MP Mathias Mpuuga from Masaka or  MP Medard Lubega Ssegona.  Dr. Siranda from Busia should be the Chairman of the Party and the Treasurer should come from the Western Region.

We now need politically “strong hearted” people to lead the Democratic Party.  We need people who will not be easily swayed by external influence which comes with black intentions to weaken the Party.  The Democratic Party shall never die.

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Kavuma-Kaggwa is an elder from Kyaggwe, Mukono district

Tel: 0772584423  

 

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