DP suspends two officials over misconduct

DP | ELECTIONS | 2021

The Democratic Party (DP) President General, has suspended two senior party officials for allegedly organizing illegal meeting and forging party cards.

The suspended officials include: Shafiq Dembe (the party's Acting Organising Secretary and Didas Lukyamuzi, the regional representative Ankole Sub Region.

Nobert Mao said the two have been suspended ordered out of office pending further investigations into their conduct by the National Executive Committee.

"I have with immediate effect suspended the two and all their activities will be done by the party's secretary general," he noted.

Mao who was addressing journalists at the party offices in Kampala, alleged that the two were forging membership party cards and forging the signature of the party's secretary general, which is criminal.

He stressed that unlike before, this time round, the party will not entertain any indiscipline from any member.

"Some members have been using our party for their selfish interest. They always come to pick the party flag and disappear and later return during elections. This will not be tolerated anymore," he said.

Mao said all those who want the party flag must adhere to the party principles through the the rightful process.

"We are going to have a process to select our candidates, and all those who want the party flag must respect the process. This time we are after our flag. Those who go will be locked out. This time the doors with burglarproof. We want people who are capable and electable," he added.

He stressed that the party is not in the rush to nominate candidates they already have their candidates who are capable.

"We have put structures in in place. Our grassroot structures are at 68% and we have new leaders in different districts Those members who left should return to the party and work with their new leaders in their areas. Some people think the party cannot survive without them," Mao noted.

Meeting with EC over guidelines 

At the same briefing, Mao said DP was organizing to have a meeting with the Electoral Commission (EC) and police over campaign guidelines.

"This is very contradicting to produce an election roadmap without guidelines on how parties are supposed to operate and conduct their activities to identify and chose their candidates," he said.

He explained that the meeting is intended to come up with clear guidelines on how we are supposed to operate because it is impossible to identify candidates without meetings for primaries

He noted that the EC has left everything to the police and LDUs which is likely to cause a big problem.

He condemned the partisan conduct of police and Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF), while enforcing the law.

"On many occasions we have seen NRM officials holding meetings freely. But every time another party holds a small meeting, the security rushes to halt it, saying we are defying presidential directives," he said.