Bravo NRM for accepting Mbale loss
Feb 21, 2010
The National Resistance Movement has conceded the defeat by the Forum for Democratic change candidate, Jack Wamia Wamanga, in last week’s Mbale municipality by-election.
By Stephen Asimwe
The National Resistance Movement has conceded the defeat by the Forum for Democratic change candidate, Jack Wamia Wamanga, in last week’s Mbale municipality by-election.
While the NRM have consoled themselves with the allegations of indiscipline and poor election management, all that is partly true. But this happens when the think tanks of the party strategists lack political intelligence and only arrive at the last minute to save the situation.
For the case of Mbale municipality in 2006, Hassan Galiwango lost to Hon. Kajeke not because Kajeke was a strong candidate, but because there was ethnic confusion.
In last week’s by election the issue of tribe did not feature. It was only about internal democracy within the party and discipline for NRM.
After losing, NRM has congratulated the winner and promised to work together for the best of the country. This is a sign of maturity for competing parties that have recently signed inter-party dialogue.
Unlike the bourbon monarchy in Europe in the 18th Century that for 18 years learnt nothing and forgot everything, parties in Uganda must learn how to plan for an election, timing of an election, where they have an advantage and what the competitors’ strengths are.
But what happens to some of our parties is that organising an election is like that of the fire brigade. Where you say move and stop it immediately. Today some voters are tricky. When a party is disorganised in a constituency, it will lose. DP and FDC lost Kalungu to Hon. Mawiya because of confusion.
Parties need internal cohesion in order to sustain people’s hope. For NRM this has been a lesson and let me hope it will help the party grasp a few issues and move forward.
I also appeal to FDC to stop the hullabaloo on national electoral commission and organising women to demonstrate. It is now clear that Dr. Kiggundu can deliver to any political party that is organised.
On the day they were announcing election results, political loser, Salamu Musumba was on Radio One saying elections are going to be rigged. What a shame to our impatient politicians. Let us accept our weaknesses in mobilisation and campaign strategy. Now what will happen to IPC women? Will they demonstrate against electoral commission or FDC? Let us embrace the multiparty democracy.
We cannot have two winners, we shall always get one but those who lose must have guts like the spokesperson of NRM, Hon. Mary Karooro who congratulated the victors. From there, our struggle to democratise Uganda and the rest of Africa will be respected.
The writer works at the Uganda Media Centre
The National Resistance Movement has conceded the defeat by the Forum for Democratic change candidate, Jack Wamia Wamanga, in last week’s Mbale municipality by-election.
While the NRM have consoled themselves with the allegations of indiscipline and poor election management, all that is partly true. But this happens when the think tanks of the party strategists lack political intelligence and only arrive at the last minute to save the situation.
For the case of Mbale municipality in 2006, Hassan Galiwango lost to Hon. Kajeke not because Kajeke was a strong candidate, but because there was ethnic confusion.
In last week’s by election the issue of tribe did not feature. It was only about internal democracy within the party and discipline for NRM.
After losing, NRM has congratulated the winner and promised to work together for the best of the country. This is a sign of maturity for competing parties that have recently signed inter-party dialogue.
Unlike the bourbon monarchy in Europe in the 18th Century that for 18 years learnt nothing and forgot everything, parties in Uganda must learn how to plan for an election, timing of an election, where they have an advantage and what the competitors’ strengths are.
But what happens to some of our parties is that organising an election is like that of the fire brigade. Where you say move and stop it immediately. Today some voters are tricky. When a party is disorganised in a constituency, it will lose. DP and FDC lost Kalungu to Hon. Mawiya because of confusion.
Parties need internal cohesion in order to sustain people’s hope. For NRM this has been a lesson and let me hope it will help the party grasp a few issues and move forward.
I also appeal to FDC to stop the hullabaloo on national electoral commission and organising women to demonstrate. It is now clear that Dr. Kiggundu can deliver to any political party that is organised.
On the day they were announcing election results, political loser, Salamu Musumba was on Radio One saying elections are going to be rigged. What a shame to our impatient politicians. Let us accept our weaknesses in mobilisation and campaign strategy. Now what will happen to IPC women? Will they demonstrate against electoral commission or FDC? Let us embrace the multiparty democracy.
We cannot have two winners, we shall always get one but those who lose must have guts like the spokesperson of NRM, Hon. Mary Karooro who congratulated the victors. From there, our struggle to democratise Uganda and the rest of Africa will be respected.
The writer works at the Uganda Media Centre