No party ticket for rebel supporters -Mao

By John Semakula

The Democratic Party (DP) President Norbert Mao has warned supporters of the party opposed to its positions that they will not be endorsed flag bearers in 2016.

Mao said DP will only give party tickets to supporters who will be actively involved in party activities before the 2016 general elections.

Mao also asked former party supporters who crossed to other parties to return.

Mao made the remarks on Sunday while addressing a rally at Kabimbiri town in Mukono District.

The DP president also strongly bashed the party supporters who back Presidential candidates from other political parties in the general elections.

Mao compared them to someone who seeks accommodation in a night-dancer’s house when it’s raining, knowing well that he can be turned into a meal that day.

“I wonder whether by backing candidates especially those of Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC), those people think they are promoting the interests of DP!” he said.   

He said to sieve out such people from the real supporters of DP; the party will soon roll out registration for its members across the country.

“When the registration exercise begins, we shall send cards to you which will carry my signature. Please ensure that you register and get a DP card,” Mao said.

The DP leadership is holding rallies across the country for the next four years under a campaign codenamed DP revival Crusade.
The Kabimbiri rally was one of the rallies although it was shunned by DP Members of Parliament, including Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze.

DP officials said they invited the MPs ahead of the Sunday morning rally at Kabimbiri, but most refused to attend.

The absence of the MPs on the rally showed the deepening divisions in DP.

Mao told the party supporters in Kabimbiri that he was working towards uniting the party.

Mao was backed by Fred Mukasa Mbidde, the sole DP representative in the East African legislative Assembly.

Mbidde said the party was working towards forming a nine-member committee on every village in the country ahead of the 2016 general elections.