Mao takes leave from DP activities

Feb 24, 2015

Democratic Party (DP) president general, Norbert Mao has taken leave from the party activities.

By Pearl Agasha and Nicholas Wassajja

Democratic Party (DP) president general, Norbert Mao has taken leave from the party activities.

“We have 40 leaders who will steer the party in my absence. My doctors have advised that I rest,” Mao announced on Tuesday.

Addressing journalists at the party headquarters on Tuesday, Mao said doctors advised him to rest when he returned from Nairobi Hospital but he defied their advice in a bid to keep the opposition strong ahead of the 2016 polls.

In July last year, the DP stalwart suffering from acute pneumonia was admitted at Nairobi Hospital in Kenya where he spent more than two weeks at the health facility after a referral from St. Mary’s Hospital-Lacor.

“I need to take a break for my own health and from the petty internal bickering and gain strength for bigger battles ahead of me to liberate Uganda.” Mao explained.

Speaking to New Vision at the sidelines of the conference, Nsubuga said that, “Mao is still the substantive president general of the party up to the next delegates’ conference and we expect him while at his bed rest to continue chipping in especially on paramount issues of unity and cohesion in DP.”

Mao revealed that he is not certain whether he will stand for the position in the next delegates’ conference but challenged his lingering opponents the task of running against him when he makes up his mind.  

The DP strongman said that for anyone that wants to become president, the ball is at his feet so they should get it because he is now aspiring for national presidency.

Mao added that, “I will announce in future if I intend to stand for the party presidency but it is malicious talk that I don’t want anyone to run against me. I have the ball and a winning team but DP being a truth and justice founded party, the space is open for everyone to contest.”

The party secretary general Mathias Nsubuga will take mantle of DP’s day to day activities under the guidance of the national vice president John Baptist Kawanga and support frome the entire national structure.

Next month, DP will embark on a program of leadership renewal which will be based from the grass root to the national level. The National Executive committee is finalizing details for this.

Commenting on the matter, Mao said, “the road map should be agreed upon by everybody including those that didn’t go to Mbale and everybody should participate in this program when called upon.”

Mao became DP president in 2010, at a sharply contentious delegate’s conference in Mbale and contested the 2011 presidential elections coming third after the Forum for Democratic change Leader Kiiza Besigye.  
 

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