Who will be Democratic President?
Feb 20, 2010
THE Democratic Party (DP) national delegates’ conference for party elections opened yesterday amid tight security at Mt. Elgon Hotel in Mbale municipality.
By Jude Kafuma
and Daniel Edyegu
THE Democratic Party (DP) national delegates’ conference for party elections opened yesterday amid tight security at Mt. Elgon Hotel in Mbale municipality.
Only 750 delegates had been registered by 9:00am when the conference opened, out of the 1,500 delegates expected to attend.
A faction of the party leaders led by national chairperson Prof. Joseph Mukiibi and deputy secretary general Dr. Bayiga Lulume has boycotted the conference.
Former DP president, Paul Ssemogerere was conspicuously absent. He had unsuccessfully tried to reconcile the two main DP factions.
“We have deployed personnel and manpower since yesterday until Sunday when the conference ends,†said the Superintendent of Police and officer in charge of operations in Mbale district, Muhammed Sapwe.
Among the area security operatives at the venue were George Koire the deputy officer in charge of operations in Mbale and Hamuza Kayongo, the Eastern region operations officer.
regional operations officer.
The party will carry out elections for its leaders ahead of the 2011 elections. Among the most contested seats is the Party president general’s post mainly contested for by Gulu LC5 chairman Nobert Mao and Kampala Mayor Hajji Nasser Ntege Sebaggala.
While campaigns for the party leadership kicked-off months ago, by the time registration started on Thursday evening, several delegates were arriving chanting slogans of Obama referring to Mao as their favorite as others were busy putting up more posters in favour of Sebaggala.
Sources said Mao has uphill task to prevail over the City mayor Sebaggala who evidently has invested heavily in the process and mobilised aggressively. Sebaggala has several coaches in Mbale that ferried delegates from various parts of the country.
Sources disclosed that Sebaggala is funding a big percentage of the conference cost. “The total budget for the conference is sh400m. The foreign donors through the Deepening Democracy Programme have provided sh50m. Outgoing DP president John Ssebaana Kizito has also contributed about sh50m. It is said the remaining sh300m has been raised by Sebaggala.
Saturday Vision learnt that the organisers were forced to shift the event to Mt. Elgon Hotel after Sebaggala booked the entire Mbale Resort for himself and his supporters.
Sebaggala then accommodatedsome delegates who were supposed to spend the night in a tent at the Mt. Elgon Hotel and were stranded because the organizers had not provided mattresses as had been earlier planned.
On Thursday evening, Sebaggala’s campaign team headed by one Mulyanyama, Dan Matovu, Issa Makumbi and Bumba Ssebagala were ferrying delegates who were stranded at the venue and offered them accommodation.
Some delegates were taken to Sadina Inn outside Mbale town and were accommodated in tents.
Sebaggala’s camp has eight campaign managers representing the north, east, west and central regions.
“I have traversed the country and convinced people to vote for me because DP deserves change,†Sebaggala said moments before the conference started.
Sources also said Sebaggala had an edge over Mao because he (Sebaggala) enjoyed the backing of two key players in the conference, the Party secretary general Matia Nsubuga and Jinja mayor Baswale kezaala.
Nsubuga previously worked as Sebaggala’s political assistant while Kezaala has significant following within the young party leaders who were active in the Uganda Young Democrats.
The boycott by the faction led by Bayiga could work against Mao. The faction includes a big number of the party’s elite who were more inclined to support Mao, whi is a lawyer by profession.
Mao’s camp that was overshadowed by Sebaggala’s team was confident that their candidate would take DP leadership. His campaign team led by Vincent Mayanja the Kampala district DP chairman included most of the high profile officials of the party.
“We’ve campaigned rigorously and asked delegates to vote for us the way we are, not because of what we have. It is qualities, capacity and ability to lead the party that matter,†Mayanja said.
Attendance
DP MPs: Joseph Balikuddembe, Issa Kikungwe, Matia Nsubuga, Mohammed Kawuma and Ssebuliba Mutumba.
Contestants: Kenneth Kakande, Jude Mbabali and Mwesigwa for who are vying for publicity secretary, and Moses Kalungi for deputy treasurer. Issa Kikungwe wants to become treasurer, Francis Bwengye chairman, Mukasa Mbidde national vice-chairman, Wasswa Ziritwawula chairman central region, while, Francis Katabalwa and Erasto Kibirango are standing for the post of legal advisor.
This week, a section of the Party’s national executive committed led by the national chairman Prof. Joseph Mukiibi, and deputy secretary general and MP Dr. Michael Lulume Bayiga announced the expulsion of Sebaana, Nsubuga and Kikungwe.
“NEC has not endorsed or called this meeting and it will not be involved in the activities at Mbale,†read the Statement issued by Bayiga’s faction.
The faction said the vice-president, Rainer Kafire, had replaced Ssebaana Kizito as president, said the statement signed by Mukiibi, Bayiga and Kafire.
Others in the boycotting faction include outspoken party spokesperson, Betty Nambooze, the Central division MP and party legal advisor Erias Lukwago. They argue that Matia Nsubuga, who has convened the Delegates Conference, is no longer the party secretary general.
However, political analysts argue that the faction opposed to the Mbale conference is against election of either Mao or Sebaggala as party president.
DP is the oldest party, having been formed in 1954.
It has not held power, except for a brief period in 1961 when Ben Kiwanuka was elected chief minister.
and Daniel Edyegu
THE Democratic Party (DP) national delegates’ conference for party elections opened yesterday amid tight security at Mt. Elgon Hotel in Mbale municipality.
Only 750 delegates had been registered by 9:00am when the conference opened, out of the 1,500 delegates expected to attend.
A faction of the party leaders led by national chairperson Prof. Joseph Mukiibi and deputy secretary general Dr. Bayiga Lulume has boycotted the conference.
Former DP president, Paul Ssemogerere was conspicuously absent. He had unsuccessfully tried to reconcile the two main DP factions.
“We have deployed personnel and manpower since yesterday until Sunday when the conference ends,†said the Superintendent of Police and officer in charge of operations in Mbale district, Muhammed Sapwe.
Among the area security operatives at the venue were George Koire the deputy officer in charge of operations in Mbale and Hamuza Kayongo, the Eastern region operations officer.
regional operations officer.
The party will carry out elections for its leaders ahead of the 2011 elections. Among the most contested seats is the Party president general’s post mainly contested for by Gulu LC5 chairman Nobert Mao and Kampala Mayor Hajji Nasser Ntege Sebaggala.
While campaigns for the party leadership kicked-off months ago, by the time registration started on Thursday evening, several delegates were arriving chanting slogans of Obama referring to Mao as their favorite as others were busy putting up more posters in favour of Sebaggala.
Sources said Mao has uphill task to prevail over the City mayor Sebaggala who evidently has invested heavily in the process and mobilised aggressively. Sebaggala has several coaches in Mbale that ferried delegates from various parts of the country.
Sources disclosed that Sebaggala is funding a big percentage of the conference cost. “The total budget for the conference is sh400m. The foreign donors through the Deepening Democracy Programme have provided sh50m. Outgoing DP president John Ssebaana Kizito has also contributed about sh50m. It is said the remaining sh300m has been raised by Sebaggala.
Saturday Vision learnt that the organisers were forced to shift the event to Mt. Elgon Hotel after Sebaggala booked the entire Mbale Resort for himself and his supporters.
Sebaggala then accommodatedsome delegates who were supposed to spend the night in a tent at the Mt. Elgon Hotel and were stranded because the organizers had not provided mattresses as had been earlier planned.
On Thursday evening, Sebaggala’s campaign team headed by one Mulyanyama, Dan Matovu, Issa Makumbi and Bumba Ssebagala were ferrying delegates who were stranded at the venue and offered them accommodation.
Some delegates were taken to Sadina Inn outside Mbale town and were accommodated in tents.
Sebaggala’s camp has eight campaign managers representing the north, east, west and central regions.
“I have traversed the country and convinced people to vote for me because DP deserves change,†Sebaggala said moments before the conference started.
Sources also said Sebaggala had an edge over Mao because he (Sebaggala) enjoyed the backing of two key players in the conference, the Party secretary general Matia Nsubuga and Jinja mayor Baswale kezaala.
Nsubuga previously worked as Sebaggala’s political assistant while Kezaala has significant following within the young party leaders who were active in the Uganda Young Democrats.
The boycott by the faction led by Bayiga could work against Mao. The faction includes a big number of the party’s elite who were more inclined to support Mao, whi is a lawyer by profession.
Mao’s camp that was overshadowed by Sebaggala’s team was confident that their candidate would take DP leadership. His campaign team led by Vincent Mayanja the Kampala district DP chairman included most of the high profile officials of the party.
“We’ve campaigned rigorously and asked delegates to vote for us the way we are, not because of what we have. It is qualities, capacity and ability to lead the party that matter,†Mayanja said.
Attendance
DP MPs: Joseph Balikuddembe, Issa Kikungwe, Matia Nsubuga, Mohammed Kawuma and Ssebuliba Mutumba.
Contestants: Kenneth Kakande, Jude Mbabali and Mwesigwa for who are vying for publicity secretary, and Moses Kalungi for deputy treasurer. Issa Kikungwe wants to become treasurer, Francis Bwengye chairman, Mukasa Mbidde national vice-chairman, Wasswa Ziritwawula chairman central region, while, Francis Katabalwa and Erasto Kibirango are standing for the post of legal advisor.
This week, a section of the Party’s national executive committed led by the national chairman Prof. Joseph Mukiibi, and deputy secretary general and MP Dr. Michael Lulume Bayiga announced the expulsion of Sebaana, Nsubuga and Kikungwe.
“NEC has not endorsed or called this meeting and it will not be involved in the activities at Mbale,†read the Statement issued by Bayiga’s faction.
The faction said the vice-president, Rainer Kafire, had replaced Ssebaana Kizito as president, said the statement signed by Mukiibi, Bayiga and Kafire.
Others in the boycotting faction include outspoken party spokesperson, Betty Nambooze, the Central division MP and party legal advisor Erias Lukwago. They argue that Matia Nsubuga, who has convened the Delegates Conference, is no longer the party secretary general.
However, political analysts argue that the faction opposed to the Mbale conference is against election of either Mao or Sebaggala as party president.
DP is the oldest party, having been formed in 1954.
It has not held power, except for a brief period in 1961 when Ben Kiwanuka was elected chief minister.