Sebaggala stirring up trouble for DP again

Sep 04, 2005

FOLLOWING protracted negotiations brokered by Prof. Frederick Ssempebwa, three months ago, the rival factions in the Democratic Party reached an agreement to put an end to their legal battles over the party registration.

John Kakande

FOLLOWING protracted negotiations brokered by Prof. Frederick Ssempebwa, three months ago, the rival factions in the Democratic Party reached an agreement to put an end to their legal battles over the party registration.

The agreement generated a lot of excitement among the party supporters and subsequently, DP was duly registered.

I warned at the time that it was too early to celebrate. The latest events in DP suggest that a serious rift is again imminent as a consequence of internal power struggles and maneuvers over the forthcoming selection of the Party presidential candidate for the 2006 presidential elections.

Three individuals from the party have emerged as aspiring presidential candidates. They are: the Mayor Ssebaana Kizito, Gulu Municipality MP Nobert Mao and Nasser Sebaggala.

They are already canvassing for support. Nobert Mao recently launched his bid in Gulu, with a public rally that was conspicuously attended exclusively by the former Francis Bwengye faction leaders. Sebaggala, who apparently is being backed by a UYD splinter group headed by Makindye East MP Michael Mabikke, launched his ‘manifesto’ last week while Ssebaana has been in the US meeting party supporters in the diaspora.

The maneouvres by Sebaggala and Mao are injurious to the party. Sebaggala’s announcement in Jinja that he would contest as presidential candidate on ‘individual merit’ (independent) showed he realises he has no chance to be selected as the party’s candidate.

Sebaggala has obvious and serious credibility problems. His trial and conviction in the United States for bank fraud, a serious criminal offence even in Uganda, seriously eroded his credibility.

But also, there are still questions whether he has the pre-requisite minimum academic qualification to stand as a presidential candidate. Since Sebaggala returned from the United Kingdom, he has been cagey whenever he is asked to prove whether he now has the required academic qualifications.

It is obvious DP leaders are against Sebaggala’s bid to contest as the party candidate. But DP leaders don’t have the guts to tell the Hajji that he has no credentials for a presidential candidate. Nonetheless, Sebaggala has correctly read the signals and has resorted to blackmail and being disruptive.

This is why he went to the DP rally and not only embarrassed Paul Ssemogerere, the party president, but also declared he will stand as presidential candidate on ‘individual merit’ (independent). By saying he would run as an independent candidate, Sebaggala in effect opted not to stand on any party platform.

Surprisingly, days after announcing he would contest as an independent candidate, the same Sebaggala went to Nsambya sharing hall and stated that he would seek to be selected as the DP presidential candidate. Sebaggala is blackmailing DP because he probably thinks that if he is expelled, DP would be portrayed as a sectarian party that is against Muslims.

But DP would be discredited much more if it succumbs to Sebaggala’s blackmail. After he declared his plan to contest as an independent candidate, Sebaggala should have been told to stay away from party functions.

Mao’s bid to contest as the DP presidential candidate is equally problematic and has to be handled carefully. Mao has received the support of individuals who previously were active in the Bwengye faction. This creates problem for Mao to be associated with a group that is suspect. Furthermore, as a person from the north, Mao would be an automatic vote loser.

In view of the country’s recent history, it will be politically suicidal for any party to field a presidential candidate from the north, particularly from Acholi and Lango.

Such a candidate would never win votes from the central and western regions. Can any party hope to win a presidential election in Uganda without getting majority votes from the central and western region? Impossible. The problem that faces DP is to reject Mao’s bid without alienating its supporters from northern Uganda.

jkakande@newvision.co.ug

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