By Mulengera Reporters
Freedom Party (PFF) spokesman Ibrahim Semujju Nganda has this Thursday evening publicly admitted that NRM has so far exhibited better democratic credentials than its rivals in opposition when it comes to being transparent and inclusive while determining flag bearers for elective positions.
Appearing on CBS radio’s Kiriza oba Gana program, ably moderated by Med Nsereko Sebuliba, Semujju admitted that allowing ordinary party members in the districts, Sub Counties and villages to be the ones to choose and determine flag bearers is the best way to empower party members and demonstrate internal democracy than having bosses at party headquarters determine the same.
He admitted that this exclusion and dictatorship of bosses at the headquarters being the ones to determine, is exactly how it happens in some of the opposition parties which he didn’t name. As he invited Semujju Nganda to speak during the Thursday program on which he is hosted every week, Med Nsereko had praised NRM for being more exemplary when it comes to internal party democracy. Nsereko asserted that NRM had empowered ordinary members at the village levels to be the ones to choose flag bearers.
The moderator sarcastically referred to the NUP party whose ‘white smoke [as he called it]’ regarding who flag bearers and party flag bearers have to be, can only emerge from Kavule as opposed to the grassroots where the party is supposed to be anchored from. Nsereko put it to Semujju Nganda that this diminishes opposition parties’ collective moral authority to brand NRM undemocratic.
Semujju reluctantly agreed saying that being very bad doesn’t mean there aren’t things on which NRM can also get it right much better than its opponents in the opposition, once in a while. He likened the situation to a defective clock which will be reading the right time whenever it comes to that time of the day when it halted for some reason.
However, Semujju Nganda called on the moderator and the listeners to understand how complicated it is to conduct universal adult suffrage elections for flag bearers similar to what NRM does.
He said its first of all very costly to organize such elections making it clear that NRM is only able to keep pulling it off because it’s a state party using the taxpayers’ money. He predicted they won’t sustain that the moment they cease being the ruling party.
He wondered where the Police gets money to police the NRM elections, yet the same was never allocated to them by Parliament during the budgeting process.
He also added that the opposition parties even struggle to find candidates to front in especially the remotest parts of Uganda which is why the need for competitive party primaries doesn’t even arise in some cases, unlike NRM whose financial resources and firm control over Police naturally make it more attractive in especially rural parts of Uganda.
Semujju observed that even when this is the case, there is need for opposition to become more deliberate and do more to demonstrate willingness to tolerate dissent and deepen internal democracy.
Arguably one of contemporary Uganda’s most history knowledgeable politicians, Semujju Nganda also used the CBS program to explain the mischief that was prevalent at the time Gen Museveni abolished the electoral college system for NRM primaries and opted for universal adult suffrage. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
