DP problems temporary, Mao assures

By Joyce Namutebi

THE problems that the Democratic Party (DP) is going through are temporary, Gulu district chairman Nobert Mao has said.

DP is embroiled in leadership wrangles, with some members calling for the suspension of party president John Ssebaana Kizito.

After a crisis meeting held in Budaka recently, DP National Council officials from eastern Uganda released a statement in which they suggested that “to avoid confusion in the party, Ssebaana should be suspended indefinitely for his leadership weaknesses, failure to organise the party and not adhering to the party constitution.”

However, speaking in an interview at Parliament recently, Mao said “the storm in DP is temporary.”

He added: “The only solution is to hold the delegates’ conference. In the Democratic Party, it is the delegates who chose leaders.”

Mao also wondered why some party members want to elect a secretary general yet they are about to hold a delegates’ conference.

But six members of the party recently petitioned the Court of Appeal to block the delegates conference slated for February 18 in Mbale district.

The members argued that Mathias Nsubuga’s election as the party secretary general is being challenged in the Court of Appeal, adding that he cannot send invitations to delegates to attend the conference. The meeting is supposed to elect new party leaders.

Last year, the High Court nullified Nsubuga’s election as secretary general, but Ssebaana and Nsubuga appealed against the ruling in the Court of Appeal.

Ssebaana also insisted that Nsubuga retains the position, pending hearing of the appeal.