By Aggrey Baba
Democratic Party (DP) President Norbert Mao has given a new account of why he decided to return to constituency politics after many years of focusing on national affairs.
Mao, who is also the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, last week, told supporters in Gulu that his bid for the Laroo-Pece Division parliamentary seat was strongly encouraged by by the NRM Chairperson and President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni.
He said Museveni personally pushed him to contest and later directed NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong to prepare a constituency where he could stand. Mao said this played a major part in his decision to re-enter the contituenc-based political ring.
The Laroo-Pece contest has attracted eight (8) other candidates, including incumbent Rev. Fr. Charles Onen and contenders from NUP, NRM and other parties. But Mao sounded very confident, saying he already believes victory is on his side and is only waiting to see the final number of votes he will be given by the Electoral Commission.
As the NewVision reports, Mao also explain his cooperation agreement with Museveni, and the NRM, which has caused a lot of public discussion. He said DP has not joined NRM. Instead, he described the arrangement as two vehicles moving in the same direction for purposes of maintaining political stability and ensuring that Uganda eventually achieves a peaceful transition of power, a cooperation, he said has helped him build a wider network and has strengthened his national political positioning.
On the issue of campaign financing, Mao told DP candidates not to expect much from the party headquarters because DP does not have enough money to fund the many candidates who want to stand. He advised them to raise funds privately from their wives and husbands, friends, and schoolmates. He further explained that modern Ugandan politics has changed and that candidates are now expected to support voters, not the other way round.
Mao even reminded them that when he ran for president in 2011, he had to borrow money to keep the campaign running.
Mao also spoke about DP’s identity and its long history, saying the party has faced humiliation and many challenges, but it has survived because it was built on strong foundations.
He noted that DP has outlived all its founders, unlike some newer political parties that depend heavily on their founding leaders. Mao added that many political groups in Uganda focus mainly on fighting Museveni instead of strengthening their internal structures.
He admitted, however, that the cooperation agreement between DP and NRM has not worked smoothly everywhere. Their understanding was that if DP fields a candidate in a particular constituency, NRM should not bring one, and vice versa. Mao said some local NRM leaders did not follow this guidance, and Museveni did not want to impose it on them by force. This is why Mao is now competing directly with Tony Kitara, the NRM candidate, in Laroo-Pece Division. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
