IPC undecided over city mayorship
Nov 20, 2010
FRESH details from the Inter-Party Coalition (IPC) in Kampala indicate the group’s presidential candidate Kizza Besigye entered separate deals with different political forces, which now makes it hard for him to choose between Michael Mabikke and Erias Lukwago for the mayoral race.
By John Semakula
FRESH details from the Inter-Party Coalition (IPC) in Kampala indicate the group’s presidential candidate Kizza Besigye entered separate deals with different political forces, which now makes it hard for him to choose between Michael Mabikke and Erias Lukwago for the mayoral race.
When the political parties under IPC met to choose a flag bearer, they agreed to give the slot to Besigye on condition that he backs each one of them wherever they stand for elections.
Party leaders in IPC are Besigye for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Social Democratic party (SDP) led by Mabike, Justice Forum JEEMA led by Hussein Kyanjo and Ken Lukyamuzi’s Conservative Party.
Mabikke currently holds the rotational chairmanship of IPC.
He insists that under the agreement struck with Besigye, no IPC member is supposed to stand against the leader of any of the four party presidents at any level and in any constituency they choose. This, he says, makes him the rightful IPC flag bearer for the mayorship.
Mabikke was backed by Kibirige, who insisted that there was a provision on the matter which needed to be respected and upheld.
But those opposed to it argue that it was an agreement between the presidents and does not bind the supporters.
Kibirige warns that the split could cost the IPC dearly. “We are working day and night to make sure that we come up with one candidate for the Kampala mayorship. We cannot afford to lose that important seat.â€
Separately, Besigye on behalf of IPC entered a deal with the pro-Mengo pressure group Suubi 2011.
Under the deal, Suubi 2011 would aggressively campaign for Besigye in Buganda.
In return, IPC would give Suubi 2011 an opportunity to have a say on IPC flag bearers in parliamentary and local council elections within Buganda.
Suubi 2011, headed by former Buganda Katikkiro Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere, is backing Lukwago, who has been an active member of the group.
Throughout the time Besigye has been campaigning in Buganda, Lukwago has been at his rallies with other Suubi 2011 leaders mobilising voters for him.
Medard Segona, the coordinator of Suubi 2011, backs Lukwago. He insists that when Suubi 2011 signed a memorandum of understanding with IPC, they were not told that some positions would be reserved for party presidents.
“Since we signed the memorandum of understanding, we have never made any amendment and I believe that we are still bound to what it contained,†Segona said.
Suubi 2011 does not want Mabikke for mayorship because he has distanced himself from the group. He did not join them in campaigning for Besigye in Buganda.
Many expect Besigye to support Lukwago, who has been campaigning with him in Buganda.
But his hands might be tied because as the IPC presidential candidate, he cannot be seen campaigning against Mabikke, the sitting chairperson of the group he is representing in the presidential race.
Several leaders told Saturday Vision that vigorous behind-the-scenes efforts are under way to save Besigye the possible embarrassment of having to campaign for one against the other. The matter has been forwarded to a committee of “eminent persons†headed by Ssemwogerere.
Coalition members are also worried that having both Mabikke and Lukwago in the race could divide the opposition vote and hand victory to the NRM.
They also fear that the shift of Mabikke and Lukwago from parliamentary to the mayoral race might pave way for NRM to win in Makindye West and Kampala Central.
If this happens, then the capital city, which has been an opposition stronghold, could go into NRM hands.
Dr. Lulume Bayiga, the Buikwe South MP, argues that Lukwago and Mabikke each have the potential to become mayor, as long as they do not run against each other.
“They need each other to get victory and if they don’t work together, we shall lose Kampala to NRM,†he says.
From the time they declared their interest in the seat, there has been a lingering war of words in IPC with each claiming he is the flag bearer.
For several years, the opposition led by the Democratic Party (DP) has dominated the leadership of the city. Lukwago and Mabikke were both DP members before they fell out with the party.
Both Mabikke and Lukwago abandoned their parliamentary seats in Makindye East and Kampala Central respectively, to vie for the mayorship. Mabikke was nominated as the official flag bearer of SDP while Lukwago is standing as an independent candidate.
Although the two are supporters of IPC, none of them is willing to step down for the other.
While IPC electoral chief Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga was declaring Mabikke the coalition’s flag bearer at the IPC headquarters in Kampala, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda declared Lukwago at Parliament.
But Sam Njuba, the FDC national chairperson and a top official in IPC, says both Ssemujju and Rubaramira were wrong to make declarations because the committee of the eminent persons had not come up with a position on the matter.
The committee is made up of seven prominent persons in IPC who have no interest in elective politics. Most of the members, apart from Ssemwogerere do not freely talk to the press.
It was put in place to handle cases of the IPC supporters from different political groups who fail to reach consensus on fronting one candidate in a constituency.
Each of the political groups in the coalition is free to front a candidate in any constituency before consensus is reached to endorse the most popular of them.
In areas where consensus is not reached like in the case of the mayoral race in Kampala, the decision is left to the committee of eminent persons.
FRESH details from the Inter-Party Coalition (IPC) in Kampala indicate the group’s presidential candidate Kizza Besigye entered separate deals with different political forces, which now makes it hard for him to choose between Michael Mabikke and Erias Lukwago for the mayoral race.
When the political parties under IPC met to choose a flag bearer, they agreed to give the slot to Besigye on condition that he backs each one of them wherever they stand for elections.
Party leaders in IPC are Besigye for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Social Democratic party (SDP) led by Mabike, Justice Forum JEEMA led by Hussein Kyanjo and Ken Lukyamuzi’s Conservative Party.
Mabikke currently holds the rotational chairmanship of IPC.
He insists that under the agreement struck with Besigye, no IPC member is supposed to stand against the leader of any of the four party presidents at any level and in any constituency they choose. This, he says, makes him the rightful IPC flag bearer for the mayorship.
Mabikke was backed by Kibirige, who insisted that there was a provision on the matter which needed to be respected and upheld.
But those opposed to it argue that it was an agreement between the presidents and does not bind the supporters.
Kibirige warns that the split could cost the IPC dearly. “We are working day and night to make sure that we come up with one candidate for the Kampala mayorship. We cannot afford to lose that important seat.â€
Separately, Besigye on behalf of IPC entered a deal with the pro-Mengo pressure group Suubi 2011.
Under the deal, Suubi 2011 would aggressively campaign for Besigye in Buganda.
In return, IPC would give Suubi 2011 an opportunity to have a say on IPC flag bearers in parliamentary and local council elections within Buganda.
Suubi 2011, headed by former Buganda Katikkiro Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere, is backing Lukwago, who has been an active member of the group.
Throughout the time Besigye has been campaigning in Buganda, Lukwago has been at his rallies with other Suubi 2011 leaders mobilising voters for him.
Medard Segona, the coordinator of Suubi 2011, backs Lukwago. He insists that when Suubi 2011 signed a memorandum of understanding with IPC, they were not told that some positions would be reserved for party presidents.
“Since we signed the memorandum of understanding, we have never made any amendment and I believe that we are still bound to what it contained,†Segona said.
Suubi 2011 does not want Mabikke for mayorship because he has distanced himself from the group. He did not join them in campaigning for Besigye in Buganda.
Many expect Besigye to support Lukwago, who has been campaigning with him in Buganda.
But his hands might be tied because as the IPC presidential candidate, he cannot be seen campaigning against Mabikke, the sitting chairperson of the group he is representing in the presidential race.
Several leaders told Saturday Vision that vigorous behind-the-scenes efforts are under way to save Besigye the possible embarrassment of having to campaign for one against the other. The matter has been forwarded to a committee of “eminent persons†headed by Ssemwogerere.
Coalition members are also worried that having both Mabikke and Lukwago in the race could divide the opposition vote and hand victory to the NRM.
They also fear that the shift of Mabikke and Lukwago from parliamentary to the mayoral race might pave way for NRM to win in Makindye West and Kampala Central.
If this happens, then the capital city, which has been an opposition stronghold, could go into NRM hands.
Dr. Lulume Bayiga, the Buikwe South MP, argues that Lukwago and Mabikke each have the potential to become mayor, as long as they do not run against each other.
“They need each other to get victory and if they don’t work together, we shall lose Kampala to NRM,†he says.
From the time they declared their interest in the seat, there has been a lingering war of words in IPC with each claiming he is the flag bearer.
For several years, the opposition led by the Democratic Party (DP) has dominated the leadership of the city. Lukwago and Mabikke were both DP members before they fell out with the party.
Both Mabikke and Lukwago abandoned their parliamentary seats in Makindye East and Kampala Central respectively, to vie for the mayorship. Mabikke was nominated as the official flag bearer of SDP while Lukwago is standing as an independent candidate.
Although the two are supporters of IPC, none of them is willing to step down for the other.
While IPC electoral chief Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga was declaring Mabikke the coalition’s flag bearer at the IPC headquarters in Kampala, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda declared Lukwago at Parliament.
But Sam Njuba, the FDC national chairperson and a top official in IPC, says both Ssemujju and Rubaramira were wrong to make declarations because the committee of the eminent persons had not come up with a position on the matter.
The committee is made up of seven prominent persons in IPC who have no interest in elective politics. Most of the members, apart from Ssemwogerere do not freely talk to the press.
It was put in place to handle cases of the IPC supporters from different political groups who fail to reach consensus on fronting one candidate in a constituency.
Each of the political groups in the coalition is free to front a candidate in any constituency before consensus is reached to endorse the most popular of them.
In areas where consensus is not reached like in the case of the mayoral race in Kampala, the decision is left to the committee of eminent persons.