Gulu MP Lyandro appeals to warring DP leaders to reconcile 

Gulu municipality MP Lyandro Komakech has advised the Democratic Party leaders to convene the National Council, which is the party's parliament, to resolve the current conflicts which he said are greatly damaging the party.

Talking to journalists at Parliament, Lyandro, who came in as a dangerous substitute after Mao had been blocked from nomination for the Gulu municipality parliamentary election, expressed dismay that senior party leaders are trade counter accusations in the public.

"I wonder why there should even be any problem. We have party organs which are constitutionally mandated to resolve disagreements. DP has the most democratic constitution in Uganda which allows internal democracy to thrive. The National Council of DP should be convened to discuss these issues," Lyandro said.

Ever since Mao was re-elected as party president in 2015, he has not held a single National Council meeting for the party. The National Council if convened has powers to fill vacant positions like the positions of Secretary General and the party chairman.

DP insiders say Mao is afraid of his rivals taking over the two powerful party positions and therefore that is why he is afraid of convening the National Council

Lyandro urged all party stalwarts to work for unity and refrain from remarks which will keep the party divided.

"Everywhere I go now people ask what the problem is in DP. What is happening is demoralizing party supporters. When they see us fighting each other, even potential members are discouraged from joining the party," Lyandro argued.

The former Uganda Young Democrats president appealed to Mao to be reconciliatory and to allow internal democracy to thrive by making use of party organs and ensuring that every key stakeholder is on board.

"Otherwise, in whatever is going on; the conflicts and counter accusations, we are all losers. No one is a winner in this. It is our party that loses. We all need each other. Our behaviours should reflect the strong values of our party. We should work for reconciliation internally before we can even preach national reconciliation," he argued.

 The standoff between DP president Norbert Mao and a section of party stalwarts went to another leve during the last weekend when a DP revival rally organized in Masaka was stopped by police amidst teargas and bullets on the orders of Mao and his deputy Mukasa Mbidde.

The meeting had been organized by the Masaka municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga in conjunction with Betty Nambooze, and Medard Lubega Ssegona among others who believe the current leadership of the party has kept the party in a slumbering mode with no serious measures for taking it to greater heights.