The president of the Democratic Party who also doubles as the minister for Justice and constitutional affairs Norbert Mao has said that his critics who were opposed to the Memorandum of Understanding he signed with the ruling party (NRM) have agreed to meet him to discuss the issues pertaining the said MOU.
Mao said that the party’s members of Parliament have invited him to have a dialogue and so as to find the missing gap in communication which have caused lift between the leaders of the party ever since he sign an MOU with the ruling party chairman.
While addressing the members of his party’s Women League who gathered the party’s home along Balintuma Road in Namirembe Lubaga Division on May 11, 2023, Mao said reiterated his earlier statement that DP party is not married with NRM but they are in just what he called a ‘convoy’ and the NRM Bus is leading but when it gets off truck as per the MOU, his party will move out of the ‘convoy’ take another route.
Mao said that even Col. Dr. Besigye Kifefe tried to talk with President Museveni secretly in order to have a working relationship so as to have a reconciliation mechanism with would pave a peaceful change of government when the time for signing the MOU reached he didn’t turn up.
“Working with the ruling party is not a political sign like some members of the party and other opposition leaders think. Its high time we moved away from politics of hatred and work towards reconciliation, proportional representation in Parliament, amendment of the constitution to restore the term and age limits, and this is how we are going to achieve the peaceful change of government .’’ Mao said.
He further said that in 1986 DP’s president then the late Dr. Paul K. Ssemogerere joined government on a gentleman’s agreement but nobody questioned him. He also wondered how the former rebels would have honored such an agreement yet they knew only the language of gun fire.
Mao also warned the party members to desist from the habits of talking ill about the party when they disagree with the top leadership. He said this weakens the party and gives other political parties to gain momentum.
“ When you fight stupidly because you simply don’t agree with Mao or with what he is doing, you weaken the party and you also weaken yourself as a member.’’ ‘’You can’t fight the party you claim you want to lead this is barbaric.’’ Mao reasoned.
Meanwhile Mao launched the Party’s Women’s Charter and Constitution in the same function and cautioned the women to work toward selling the party to women and youth because this will help it to rejuvenate it glory and win the forth coming general elections.
The chairperson of the DP Women’s league Nuriat Aisha Waligo caution the party members who always disagree with their leaders and start parallel wings to stop it.
She said that in future if members are electing the leaders in the top most organs of the party, they look for those leaders who have what she called the strong ‘DNA’ of the party.
“ I am wondering how some one denies his father and after the father’s death he or she turns around and want to become the heir of share from the deceased’s properties.’’ Waligo wondered.
The function was also attended by other political parties’ women leaders and them was Faridah Kimbowa from Kayunga District who also double as the national chairperson of the Women’s Council.
By George Bukenya
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