NRM invites Bidandi, Kategaya

Nov 10, 2005

THE National Resistance Movement (NRM) has invited all the 33 registered political parties to its delegates’ conference.

By Henry Mukasa
THE National Resistance Movement (NRM) has invited all the 33 registered political parties to its delegates’ conference.

The conference will be held between November 15-20 and 17,000 national and foreign participants are expected to attend.

Meanwhile, the Central Executive Committee of the party will vet applicants of elective posts for its executive and those aspiring to be flag-bearers at constituency level. NRM spokesman Ofwono Opondo said, “We are inviting all the 33 registered political parties. It’s up to them to decide whom to send. We are also inviting all the NRM historicals as of January 26, 1986,” Opondo said.

Opondo said invitations had been sent out to Movement historicals Col. Amanya Mushega, Brig. Eriya Kategaya and veteran politician Jaberi Bidandi Ssali as observers. He said advance information about the invitations to them had been made by telephone. Mushega, a former minister and currently the Secretary General of the East African Community, former first deputy Prime Minister Kategaya and former minister Bidandi are against Museveni’s bid to seek re-election.

They say they campaigned for Museveni in 2001 on the premise that that was his last term.

Bidandi was second vice- chairman of NRM until he resigned, saying the party was going astray. He said he would state which party he has joined after the presidential elections. Ofwono said CEC will vet qualifications of aspirants, NRM membership cards and whether they registered with the Electoral Commission as voters.

He said for the post of party president and for presidential candidates, the committee would in addition verify the aspirant’s nationality and criminal record.

President Yoweri Museveni is the chairman of CEC. If he picks nomination forms to stand as party president, he might have to step aside and subject himself to scrutiny by other members.

CEC will recommend aspirants who have passed through its sieve to the interim National Executive Committee, which in turn will recommend them to the National Conference. The CEC has to do the vetting before November 15, when the delegates conference starts at Namboole stadium.
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