Nambooze still party vice-president, says Mao

Feb 07, 2018

Mao said the Buganda region vice-president position which Nambooze holds is not vacant

PIC: DP president Nobert Mao

POLITICS

KAMPALA- Democratic Party president Nobert Mao has said the Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze still holds her party position as the vice-president for Buganda region despite her suspension.

He said the Buganda region vice-president position which Nambooze holds is not vacant and, therefore, not among the19 party positions that are set to be filled in elections.

"I should not be misquoted. Nambooze is still a party member, and she holds her position," Mao said. He made the remarks yesterday during a media briefing at the DP headquarters in Kampala.

Following the DP council meeting last week, 19 positions were rendered vacant by DP and subsequently the party is slated to hold elections to fill them with new leaders.

Some of the DP party positions set for new appointment include the National chairperson that was initially occupied by Muhammad Baswale Kezaala, the deputy ambassador of Uganda to India.

Kezaala was appointed the deputy ambassador to India by President Yoweri Museveni following the announcement of a reshuffle of Uganda's diplomats last year.

"We are set to hold a meeting this week to decide on when to fill these positions. We should not forget that some party members were fished by the ruling party to serve as ambassadors. But we have to move on and hold elections." Mao said.

Other key positions include the party secretary general which was rendered vacant following the death of Mathias Nsubuga in 2016.

Following the death of the late Nsubuga, the party appointed Dr. Gerald Siranda as the an acting secretary general of the party. However, Mao highlighted that there is need to open up doors to all its party members to compete for party positions.

New Positions

Mao said the party has introduced several new positions, including the deputy women secretary and deputy youth secretary, all intended to close gaps in the running of the party.

Other new positions include secretary for workers and entrepreneurs, secretary for people with disabilities, secretary for international and diaspora affairs and secretary for elderly.

Roy Ssemboga, the Guild President at Makerere University, who won on a DP ticket, reacted on the new positions. "We need to move the party forward, and as a graduate of the DP leadership structures, we will grant equal chances for every member for party leadership," he said.

The meeting

New Vision has learnt in the meeting slated for this week on Friday, the DP will also discuss new rules on membership in regard to party members who stand as independent candidates for national elective passions, and decide whether to suspend them or not.

Other issues to be addressed include the expulsion from party, regulations on membership differentiating between a supporter and member, development of the DP national register to identify its members according to the register.

"In the 2011 presidential elections, there is several polling stations were I did not score even a single vote, and yet we have party leadership to parish levels. The DP national register will address such issues," Mao explained.

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