Mbabazi's mismanaged political ambition in a multi-party democracy

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By Christopher Omara

Total freedom by any member of a political party without respect for the internal procedures, rules and regulations breeds chaos and a state of anarchy in contemporary democracy.

John Patrick Amama Mbabazi is a senior member of the NRM party, has been a key player for years and is quite conscious of its ideology, internal party functioning, electoral processes, financing, discipline and external relations in a competitive multi-party political environment. However, his current political manoeuvres can only be described as a mismanaged political ambition that has attracted even a more serious scrutiny within the NRM party.

In a multi-party political dispensation, just like in various games, there must be compliance with the team’s rules and guidelines and a player like Rt Hon Mbabazi has no exception. For instance, Football is a great game and indeed real fun to watch and even more fun to play; but in order for football to be as fun as expected of everybody, there must be rules and boundaries – a game without rules would be ridiculous, and its players would likely quit within minutes with serious injuries that must be avoided at all cost.

Mbabazi’s actions since June 15, when he declared his presidential bid in a recorded video posted on his you tube channel, has not only confirmed his alleged clandestine activities to undermine his chairman for his personal presidential ambition, but have persistently displayed his arrogance, ideological shift and hidden intentions that demonstrates how total freedom could be misleading and dangerous to any political organisation. As a senior member of the NRM party, Hon Mbabazi is certainly trying to build his case by portraying that whatever is happening at the NRM secretariat without him is illegitimate and therefore drive a wedge within the party ranks before he could attempt to contest as an independent presidential candidate or even formally join the opposition alliance ahead of the 2016 general elections.

His recent political manoeuvres at the NRM Headquarters on July 16, in which he declined to pick his nomination forms for the NRM party primaries and his alleged letter to president Museveni within 12 hours, saying he will not participate in the party elections over what he called illegal party regulations is nothing but a treacherous plot to destabilise the NRM party and cause unnecessary friction within the party for his planned exploits. Certainly, such political manoeuvres may not be successful under the current NRM leadership.

In enforcing party discipline and cohesion, there should be no question of seniority and preferential treatment at this critical moment that the party requires compliance to the party requirements ahead of the internal party structure elections, party primaries and the general elections in 2016. It’s therefore prudent for the party relevant organs to take a decisive step to reign over Hon Mbabazi’s political scheme that is much hyped in the various electronic, print and other media.

It was not a coincidence that on July 9, Hon Mbabazi was blocked from launching his country-wide consultation on his presidential bid in Mbale having ignored the NRM internal party procedures as indicated in the NRM Secretary General’s communication to the Electoral Commission and Inspector General of Police. Hon Justin Kasule Lumumba had indicated that the NRM party had not yet endorsed any candidate or cleared or sponsored him and therefore could not be allowed to proceed with his planned consultation according to party rules and regulations. Its common sense that under a multi-party dispensation, all political parties have formal internal mechanism and procedures to nominate, vet and endorse the best candidates, especially the national chairperson and presidential flag bearers based on the party’s rules and regulations.

The NRM party has very clear procedures to select the best presidential flag bearer through the various party organs, including the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the National Conference and other relevant party organs that may also conduct various vetting and endorsement activities for the purposes of party cohesion, discipline and compliance with specific requirements. The best candidate is weighted against his/her records and personal characters necessary for attaining a landslide victory in general elections.

Rt Hon Mbabazi is known to have not demonstrated selflessness and service that must inform the overall quality of leadership at the highest level within the party, instead he allowed the NRM under his reign at various positions, including Secretary General, Prime Minister and at various ministries to be defined by unprecedented level of intrigues, clique formation, greed, discrimination, sectarianism and insatiable appetite to amass personal wealth while millions of ordinary Ugandans continue to live in misery.

With due respect, time is running out for Hon Mbabazi to play his master card to reconcile with his chairman or face the inevitable looming political onslaught that will seal his political fate.


The writer is a former NRM senior mass mobiliser in Gulu/Pader

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E-mail: christ.omara73@gmail.com