UGANDA’S OLDEST POLITICAL PARTY, THE DP HOLDS ITS ANNUAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE AND CHOSES NORBERT MAO AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT GENERAL.

Reports Leo Odera Omolo.

THE democratic Party of Uganda {DP],the oldest political party in Uganda last Saturday held its annual delegates conference in Mbale Town.

The 1,500 strong delegates elected the 43 year old Norbert Mao from Gulu district as the party’s President General. Mao, a firebrand MP, beat his rival, the flamboyant and long serving Kampala Mayor, Nasser Sabaggala, by 387 votes margin.

The conference was held amid tight security, following the boycott by a section of members of the party’s National Executive Council.

Mao polled 708 votes, more than double his rival Sebaggala’s 321 votes of the 1,380 voting delegates, despite the Mayor having conducted an elaborate and expensive campaign. Sebaggala is believed to have footed the hotel accommodation bills and transport expenses for most of the delegates who stayed at Mt .Elgon Hotel, Mbale, the venue of the elections.

This now bring to an end, the previous belief that DP, which has the largest Catholic following in Uganda, was a Baganda party. All the previous leaders ever since the days of the late Benedict Kiwanuka, the founder President, have always come from Buganda region. Norbert Mao is the first person to break the jinx as he hails from Gulu in the North.

Established in 1954, DP has never ruled Uganda, except for a brief period between 1961 and 1962, when its founder President, Benedict Kiwanuka was a Prime Minister in an interim self-government that ushered in independence in October 1962. Kiwanuka’s DP was later defeated in the independence elections by a combined UPC/Kabaka Yekka coalition, which saw the late Apollo Miton Obote being sworn in as the first Executive Prime Minister, with the Kabaka of Buganda kingdom, the late Sir Edward Mutesa as the ceremonial President.

The returning officer, Peter Polly Mukibi declared nine votes spoiled and invalidated, while the rest of the delegates, estimated to be about 1,500, abstained from voting for some unknown reasons.

The DP conference was held amid protests by some members of the national executive council who claimed that the convener, Matia Nsubuga, is illegally holding the post of the party’s secretary general. The matter, the group argued, is before a court of law in Kampala.

After his election, Mao declared, “Today is the turning point. No more running around in circles because we have chosen a direction for the party.”

“The torch has been passed onto a new generation, born after Uganda’s independence. The ball is in our court and we are ready to propel the party to a leadership standard that Uganda needs in this modern world”.

Mao received a standing ovation, with jubilant delegates shouting “Obama, Obama, Mao and DP egumire {DP is strong}” .The shouting about Obama, the US President, meaning the time for change.”

Mao, 43, replaces John Ssebaana Kizito, 77. He will steer up DP together with equally youthful Mohamed Baswele Kazaala, the Mayor of Jinja Town, who was elected unopposed as the deputy national Vice Chairman.

Ssebaana sounded relieved to hand over the party leadership to a young and energetic leader. “I now formally announce the end of my national executive council duties, and hand over powers to the new leadership headed by Norbert Mao”, he proclaimed.

“All those who have been calling themselves chairmen and deputy secretary general are no more”. This was in reference those members of the executive council who had boycotted the election and stayed away.

“Mao is now the leader and official spokesperson of DP. I urge you all to become friends of each other and work together as a team, ahead of 2011”. Uganda goes to the poll in March next year.

Mao will be deputized by Masaka Municipality MP, John Baptist Kawanga, while Mayor Kazaala’s deputy is Evelyn Walimbwa.
The DP also picked up regional vice presidents as follow: Kawempe South MP, Ssebuliba Mutumba {Central Region}, Imam Mukumbi {Western Region}, Yusuf Mutembule {Eastern Region} and Santos Alima {Northern Regionb}.

Nsubuga was elected the party’s secretary-general unopposed. His deputy is Vincent Mayanja, an international journalist.
Other members on the national executive council are MP Issa Kakungwe {Treasurer], Agnes Mayanja {Deputy Treasurer], Mareku Lathemnoi {Publicity], and Kenneth Paul Kakande [deputy Publicity]. All are MPs.

Fred Mukasa Mbila, whose bid for the vice presidency post failed on a legality, secured the position of the party national legal adviser. Another Kampala lawyer, a former chairman of the Central Division branch, Charles Sserunjogi, is the new DP National Organising Secretary, with Suleiman Kadandal as his assistant organizing secretary.

Maxencia Takilambule trounced Kampala deputy Mayor, Florence Namayonga for the post of Women leader by 31 votes. Catherine Atim is the deputy Women leader, while Mary Goretti Wanyere is the secretary for women affairs.

Brenda Nabukenya was elected the youth leader, Moses Bigiriwa her his deputy, while Sam Mujizi Mulindwa is the youth secretary.

The voting exercises kicked-off at mid-day on Saturday, and went on throughout the night, ending on Sunday morning at 6.AM.

The moment the results were announced, the jubilant supporters carried Mr. Mao shoulder high, and danced while chanting party slogans, and shouts of “Mao our new Obama”.

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com