Suubi on frontline in FDC, DP power struggles
Mar 18, 2011
POWER struggles in the Democratic Party (DP) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) are not about to end. Currently, DP and FDC are facing power struggles emerging from a different frontline, Suubi.
By John Semakula
POWER struggles in the Democratic Party (DP) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) are not about to end. Currently, DP and FDC are facing power struggles emerging from a different frontline, Suubi.
Suubi is a pro-Mengo pressure group that drew several DP politicians to campaign for FDC flag bearer Kizza Besigye against their own party leader, Norbert Mao. And now, Suubi members are plotting to take over leadership positions in the two parties.
The group was founded towards the 2011 general elections to promote the interests of Buganda Kingdom. It later formed an alliance with the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) and backed Col. Besigye the IPC candidate.
The group, led by the former Katikkiro of Buganda, Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere, campaigned vigorously for Besigye in Buganda. Although Besigye lost the elections with a wide margin, his best performance was in Buganda, where he got 31.7% of the votes. Many say without Suubi, Besigye would have scored much less than the 26% he got in the presidential elections.
A succession struggle has already erupted in FDC, although Ssemwogerere is not yet part of it. Those who have shown interest in replacing Besigye are Reagan Okumu, the Aswa County MP, Nandala Mafabi of Budadiri West and Abdu Katuntu, the Bugweri County MP.
Ssemwogerere has not declared interest in the seat. If he chooses to contest for the top seat in FDC, he is likely to ride on his influence in Buganda. He will, however, face opposition from FDC leaders who have been in the party for a long time. Ssemwogerere, a new entrant in FDC, having joined Besigye late last year, while Nandala, Okumu and Katuntu have been there since the party was formed. They would perceive Ssemwogerere as someone who wants to jump the queue.
DP is facing a similar power struggles as anti-Mao Suubi leaders position themselves for leadership positions.
Unlike FDC, where Besigye has exhausted his chance at the top, Mao is eligible to stand for election. Mao has four more years as party president and is eligible for re-election in 2015. That means Suubi would have to organise a vote of no confidence or present a strong campaign against him in 2015, when DP elects its leaders again.
Medard Ssegona, the former Buganda spokesperson, Betty Nambooze, the Mukono Municipality MP-elect and Erias Lukwago, Kampala mayor-elect are interested in taking over the leadership of DP.
The three work closely and are among the most vocal DP politicians. Nambooze has already declared her intention to replace Mao as DP president. While campaigning for parliamentary elections in Mukono in February, Nambooze said she did not support Mao because he refused to support the interests of the Kabaka. She made it clear that she was standing for parliamentary elections for the last time and that in 2016, she would run for the presidency as the DP flag bearer.
Other sources in Suubi/DP say Lukwago is also being groomed to lead DP and it was the reason he was fronted to contest for the Kampala mayorship. The sources say if Lukwago takes over DP’s top seat, Nambooze will be fronted to contest for the Kampala mayorship in 2016.
At the moment, DP is riddled with divisions that the Suubi group is likely to exploit. From the time Mao was elected DP president early last year, some leaders in the party refused to recognise him.
Unfortunately for Mao, most of the DP leaders who back him did not make it to Parliament.
Influential members of Mao’s executive like Mathias Nsubuga, the party’s secretary general and Kenneth Kakande, the spokesperson, lost their parliamentary bid.
In an earlier interview, Ssegona told Saturday Vision that Suubi leaders would use the next five years to build and strengthen their respective political parties to prepare for the 2016 general elections.
If the Suubi/DP camp targets leadership positions in FDC and DP, internal fighting will be rampart in the two political parties as its members jostle for power.
Mao is a brilliant politician and will stage a spirited fight against his enemies. Twice he has beaten them in the courts of law to retain his seat.
Being gentle in his approach, he is likely to outwit his opponents as opposed to a tumultuous struggle.
In FDC, on the other hand, politicians who want the top seat are firebrands who will not hesitate to engage in open war with any Suubi members who try to take control of the party.
If Suubi leaders fail to take over DP and FDC, they have the option to convert the group into a political party.
But Ssegona, the coordinator of Suubi, says they do not plan to turn the group into a political party because its leaders are inclined to different political parties.
Whatever happens, Suubi is likely to cause some drama in DP and FDC during the next five years.
POWER struggles in the Democratic Party (DP) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) are not about to end. Currently, DP and FDC are facing power struggles emerging from a different frontline, Suubi.
Suubi is a pro-Mengo pressure group that drew several DP politicians to campaign for FDC flag bearer Kizza Besigye against their own party leader, Norbert Mao. And now, Suubi members are plotting to take over leadership positions in the two parties.
The group was founded towards the 2011 general elections to promote the interests of Buganda Kingdom. It later formed an alliance with the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) and backed Col. Besigye the IPC candidate.
The group, led by the former Katikkiro of Buganda, Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere, campaigned vigorously for Besigye in Buganda. Although Besigye lost the elections with a wide margin, his best performance was in Buganda, where he got 31.7% of the votes. Many say without Suubi, Besigye would have scored much less than the 26% he got in the presidential elections.
A succession struggle has already erupted in FDC, although Ssemwogerere is not yet part of it. Those who have shown interest in replacing Besigye are Reagan Okumu, the Aswa County MP, Nandala Mafabi of Budadiri West and Abdu Katuntu, the Bugweri County MP.
Ssemwogerere has not declared interest in the seat. If he chooses to contest for the top seat in FDC, he is likely to ride on his influence in Buganda. He will, however, face opposition from FDC leaders who have been in the party for a long time. Ssemwogerere, a new entrant in FDC, having joined Besigye late last year, while Nandala, Okumu and Katuntu have been there since the party was formed. They would perceive Ssemwogerere as someone who wants to jump the queue.
DP is facing a similar power struggles as anti-Mao Suubi leaders position themselves for leadership positions.
Unlike FDC, where Besigye has exhausted his chance at the top, Mao is eligible to stand for election. Mao has four more years as party president and is eligible for re-election in 2015. That means Suubi would have to organise a vote of no confidence or present a strong campaign against him in 2015, when DP elects its leaders again.
Medard Ssegona, the former Buganda spokesperson, Betty Nambooze, the Mukono Municipality MP-elect and Erias Lukwago, Kampala mayor-elect are interested in taking over the leadership of DP.
The three work closely and are among the most vocal DP politicians. Nambooze has already declared her intention to replace Mao as DP president. While campaigning for parliamentary elections in Mukono in February, Nambooze said she did not support Mao because he refused to support the interests of the Kabaka. She made it clear that she was standing for parliamentary elections for the last time and that in 2016, she would run for the presidency as the DP flag bearer.
Other sources in Suubi/DP say Lukwago is also being groomed to lead DP and it was the reason he was fronted to contest for the Kampala mayorship. The sources say if Lukwago takes over DP’s top seat, Nambooze will be fronted to contest for the Kampala mayorship in 2016.
At the moment, DP is riddled with divisions that the Suubi group is likely to exploit. From the time Mao was elected DP president early last year, some leaders in the party refused to recognise him.
Unfortunately for Mao, most of the DP leaders who back him did not make it to Parliament.
Influential members of Mao’s executive like Mathias Nsubuga, the party’s secretary general and Kenneth Kakande, the spokesperson, lost their parliamentary bid.
In an earlier interview, Ssegona told Saturday Vision that Suubi leaders would use the next five years to build and strengthen their respective political parties to prepare for the 2016 general elections.
If the Suubi/DP camp targets leadership positions in FDC and DP, internal fighting will be rampart in the two political parties as its members jostle for power.
Mao is a brilliant politician and will stage a spirited fight against his enemies. Twice he has beaten them in the courts of law to retain his seat.
Being gentle in his approach, he is likely to outwit his opponents as opposed to a tumultuous struggle.
In FDC, on the other hand, politicians who want the top seat are firebrands who will not hesitate to engage in open war with any Suubi members who try to take control of the party.
If Suubi leaders fail to take over DP and FDC, they have the option to convert the group into a political party.
But Ssegona, the coordinator of Suubi, says they do not plan to turn the group into a political party because its leaders are inclined to different political parties.
Whatever happens, Suubi is likely to cause some drama in DP and FDC during the next five years.