NRM still haunted by 2010 primaries

Musa M. Mukose

There has been a lot of comments and clamour why NRM continues to lose by-elections. Considering the way primaries were conducted in 2010 and its implications, nobody should doubt why the party continues to lose.

The NRM electoral commission was ill equipped in terms of human and financial resources. Therefore, those blaming President Museveni now are mistaken and must do thorough research on our primaries. 

It is also important despite the current setbacks, that NRM still enjoys the majority support countrywide. Parties all over the world survive on the agreed shared vision and mission that is articulated in their manifesto, corporate plan and the constitution. In some areas, the elected leaders have betrayed the President by not informing him of all the pledges and when it comes to a by-election, the President is always shocked or surprised of pledges that range from two to five years.

A party’s strength lies in the vibrancy of its organs from the grassroots to national office, have think tanks that generates ideas, which help the party to evaluate its strength and its weaknesses. 

Selection of candidates for different posts must be fair. Some of our candidates in by-election leave a lot to be desired, ranging from academic credentials, and having benefited from shoddy primaries. Let us help the chairman to implement the NRM manifesto. 

The members of NRM should start a debate on NRM primaries. This will help the party to rejuvenate its strength by 2016. Opposition is still weak despite their recent recovery in some constituencies, for example Entebbe municipality and Bukoto South. These belong to DP, so they were just recapturing them from NRM.

The continued wrangling in Parliament in NRM caucus for cabinet posts have left many members perennial liars instead of mobilising the population towards implementation of the manifesto, they concentrate on blaming the chairman.

It is high time we concentrated on the common goal of building our country and stopped misleading wananchi. NRM still has all chances to redeem itself to its revolutionary methods of work.

The writer is the former Member of Parliament  for Busiki