Democratic party suffers financial crisis

May 09, 2009

THE Democratic Party (DP) is facing a financial crisis following the withdrawal of key financiers, denting their chances of winning the 2011 general elections. Party leaders in 2007 drafted what they called a Marshal Plan for 2011 in which they had planne

By Moses Mulondo

THE Democratic Party (DP) is facing a financial crisis following the withdrawal of key financiers, denting their chances of winning the 2011 general elections. Party leaders in 2007 drafted what they called a Marshal Plan for 2011 in which they had planned to regain DP’s past glory. However, this makes it unlikely that the party will perform well in these elections, whose campaigns start next year.

For starters, the party’s treasury has been empty for so long. This could explain why the party’s Delegates Conference, which was meant to be held in December last year, was postponed to February and later June this year. Even then, the meeting may not take place in June as delegates have not yet been invited.

Saturday Vision has learnt that as a result of the infighting in DP, which was once the most popular political party, the group’s foreign donors withdrew their financial support. These donors include Westminster Foundation for Democracy of UK and Hoyre Norwegian Centre for Democratic Support. Only the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Germany is still supportive, but minimally, a source revealed.

Another DP source, however, said the party has been, to a large extent, benefiting from personal contributions made by wealthy members, who have either died or become cold. For instance, the party president, Sebaana Kizito, met most of the costs for the last delegates’ conference in 2005. He, however, is unlikely to continue funding the party that much since he is retiring from leadership. The death of local financiers, such as Henry Kayondo, has made matters worse. The private sector is reluctant to fund a party that is not going to win the presidential elections.

Due to such hardships, there has been pressure from sections of the party for DP to join the inter-party cooperation to get a share of donor funds given to it. DP leaders were involved in initial discussions for the inter-party cooperation aimed at creating a formidable alliance against the ruling NRM, but did not sign the binding protocol in August 2008.

“We are financially handicapped. That is why for so long, there has been almost no serious party activity other than the weekly press conferences,” said a highly-placed DP official.

But the party’s secretary general Mathias Nsubuga dismissed the assertion that the delegates’ conference has been delayed by the absence of funds.

“Money is not our problem. We have the money and we can raise more from members and donors,” Nsubuga argued.

He also dismissed the allegation that the delegates’ conference has been twice postponed from December to February then to June.
“I have been the DP secretary general since last year in August and I don’t remember ever setting the date for the delegates’ conference. Even as of now, the National Executive Committee has not yet met to discuss the date and details of the delegates’ conference,” Nsubuga said.

Several DP officials are blaming the current party president John Ssebaana Kizito for the snail’s march to the 2011 elections.
Shortly after saying ‘owamanyi takeera’ (the strong ones take their time), Ssebaana told Saturday Vision that the reason why they have taken long to hold their delegates conference is because he has been sick.

Asked whether the DP’s empty treasury was to blame for the slow pace, Ssebaana said: “that is part of the challenges we are facing, but we shall get out of it.”

The party, which is the oldest in Uganda, is currently composed of numerous rivalling groups. These squabbles led to the suspension of the party’s chairman and his deputy for refusing to endorse the new secretary general (Nsubuga). Their suspension came after a court case that was filed in the Constitutional Court challenging the manner in which Nsubuga was elected last year in August.
Ever since the two were suspended, the office of party chairman has been inactive. But even Nsubuga has not been effective due to the resistance he has been facing.

Another source blamed the weak leadership in the party, saying: “The paralysis of progress is largely blamed on the incompetent leadership of Ssebaana and the election of Nsubuga as the new DP secretary general. The incident tore the party apart leading to the suspension of the party’s chairman and his deputy.” Because of the resistance the new secretary general faced, his contribution to the party has also been minimal as he lacks respect from party leaders.

The recent beating of Elias Lukwago and Betty Nambooze in Masaka was simply a symptom of the infighting that is eating up DP. The two had gone for a funeral at the secretary general’s home when they were roughed up by a group of DP youths apparently mobilised by their rivals within the party.

In this age where Internet is no longer a luxury, the Democratic Party is the only of the four Uganda’s main parties (UPC, DP, NRM and FDC) without a website.
These problems are likely to weaken a party whose strength as reflected in the Parliament is low. There are only nine DP MPs and all of them are from the central region, that is, Wakiso, Masaka, Kampala and Mukono districts. The world over, the strength of a party is measured by its representation in parliament.

The party is also facing the challenge of replacing party president Ssebaana Kizito. Although Norbert Mao looks formidable, some party stalwarts are opposed to his candidature, claiming he is not a party diehard and that he just wants to use the party to climb political ladders. He also doesn’t seem to have financial muscle.

Makerere University Professor of Political Science, Aaron Mukwaya, shares the belief that DP is ill-prepared to win the 2011 elections. “The party has many internal problems ranging from intrigue, divisions, financial problems and weak leadership. Besides the internal weaknesses, there are many external factors and pressures that are too heavy for the party to win the next general elections,” Mukwaya argued.
He said if DP is to make any progress, its leaders should openly debate their weakness and elect new leadership.

Mukwaya, however, reasons that DP is not in an isolated island of problems. “All major parties in Uganda have problems of inability to transform themselves into viable political parties. The parties are built on individuals rather than institutions. Party leaders have a debt of building parties as institutions that can outlive them,” the political scientist said.

DP: From birth to date
DP was founded in 1954 by the Baganda elite - particularly those who belonged to the Catholic Church who felt oppressed by the then government. It was headed by Benedicto Kiwanuka, who became Uganda’s first Prime Minister.

In the 1958 Legislative Council elections, DP got only one out of 10 seats. Buganda boycotted these elections. In the 1961 Legislative Council elections, it garnered 43 seats out of 91.

It was the largest party during the first election in Uganda before independence but the alliance between the Uganda People’s Congress and the Kabaka Yekka parties denied it victory. In the 1962 National Assembly elections, the UPC/KY coalition got 58 out of the 91 seats while DP got 24.

It emerged again after Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979 under the new leader, Paul Semogerere who provided a significant challenge to UPC, in the 1980 elections.  In the 1980 National Assembly elections, DP got 51 out of 126 seats. These elections are widely believed to have been rigged in favour of the UPC.

Its leader Paul Ssemogerere stood in the 1996 Presidential elections where he got 22.3% of the votes, against Yoweri Museveni’s 75.5%.
Its flag bearer in the 2001 presidential elections was Francis Bwengye, who got 0.31% of the votes.

In the 2006 presidential elections, its leader, Ssebaana Kizito scooped 1.58% while its parliamentary candidates got eight out of the 333 seats.
Compiled by Ben Okiror

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