NRM to revise manifesto

By Henry Sekanjako

WITH the 2016 general elections fast approaching, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) through its Parliamentary caucus is set to embark on a national wide consultative campaign for views to review the party manifesto.

According to the NRM chief whip Ruth Nankabirwa, the current manifesto will expire next year and most of the issues within the manifesto had been achieved.

“NRM thought it fit for its members to interact with NRM local leaders at the sub county level to get views on what pledges have been achieved in the current manifesto and also to propose new ideas which can be factored into the new manifesto,” said Nankabirwa.

Nankabirwa, who was on Thursday addressing journalists about the NRM Parliamentary caucus meeting at parliament, said the NRM will also interact with religious leaders and opinion leaders for views on what they think should be included in the NRM manifesto.

She added that through its NRM members of parliament, the party will document all the outstanding pledges and commitments by the government across the country for proper implementation of the manifesto.

Asked about how much money the exercise will cost the party, Nankabirwa said; “I am going to consult the public about the manifesto, I don’t want to go into how much it will cost”.

Speaking at the same meeting, the deputy chairperson NRM caucus Peter Ogwang noted that the current NRM Manifesto falls short of the youth concerns adding that the new manifesto is aimed at covering such gaps.

“The youth believe that our manifesto in its current form, doesn’t favor the youth,” said Ogwang the youth MP Eastern Uganda.

Patrick Nakabale, the NRM caucus secretary described the planned consultative meetings with the local leaders on the new manifesto as healthy to the party’s development.

The current NRM manifesto was developed in 2011; some of the key areas in the current manifesto include the expansion of electricity supply, prosperity for all, industrialization, expanding of the education structure and piped water supply among other issues.

However according to Nankabirwa most of these issues have been addressed by the government in the current manifesto.

About the constitution reforms, Nankabirwa noted that the reforms were not a priority as long as the country’s security is not under threat.

“It is true these reforms have delayed and we all take the blame, but we shall consider those that are very urgent and those which are not urgent we deal with them in 2016, the most important thing is the security of our country,” noted Nankabirwa.

Parliament is currently scrutinizing the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2015, for electoral reforms ahead of the 2016 general elections.