NRM CEC endorses Kadaga for Speaker

National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) has endorsed Rebecca Kadaga to be the Speaker of the 10th Parliament.

Sources have told New Vision that CEC decided that the status quo be maintained. This mean that Jacoubo Oulanyah will retain the deputy position.

Earlier today NRM EC chairperson dr. Tanga Odoi told a news conference the contest for position of Speaker of the tenth Parliament was set to be determined by the caucus of the ruling National Resistance Movement.

The contest for position of Speaker is pitting incumbent Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, against her deputy Jacob Oulanyah in a feisty contest which has kept NRM lawmakers and party supporters on the edge.

The winner between the two will be shoe-in-favorite to be elected Speaker on account of NRM's numerical strength in the tenth parliament even if the opposition or independent legislators front a candidate.

"The two candidates were found to be astute and capable. So, CEC decided to forward their names to the party caucus to decide on who should be Speaker," Dr. Tanga Odoi, the chairperson of NRM's electoral commission and a CEC member himself told the press earlier today.

In a brief statement issued by the NRM national Chairman President Yoweri Museveni, CEC will present their recommendations to the parliamentary caucus on May 5, 2016.

"The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) met under the chairmanship of H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and agreed on the way forward on the issue of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of parliament. The recommendations will be presented to parliamentary caucus on 5th of May 2016," he said.

CEC has also ordered the party's electoral commission to open up the contest for Deputy Speaker after some NRM lawmakers complained that the period for expressing interest for the office had been short.

Odoi said any NRM MP interested in vying for the office of Deputy Speaker should do so before 6pm today.

Already, MPs Agaba Abbas, Monicah Amoding, Jovah Kamateka, Theodore Ssekikubo, David Bahati and Hamson Obua have already expressed interest in the position of deputy speaker.

The NRM caucus is set to conduct internal polls for the two coveted offices on Thursday morning.