How weak caucusing is pushing Opposition in a tight corner

This weekend National Resistance Movement MPs were supposed to travel to the National Leadership Institute, Kyankwanzi, for “deliberations preparatory to plenary”. But the retreat was postponed to next month.
It is now common practise that whenever the ruling party MPs need to arrive at a party position they are summoned to Kyankwanzi or State House.

Decisions arrived at by the ruling party caucus, which has the commanding majority in Parliament, mostly leave a strong feeling of disgust in the Opposition.
Downhearted, Ms Betty Aol Ocan (FDC, Gulu) concedes the NRM’s numbers gives an edge to their caucus, but adds that decisions arrived at scarcely reflect the gut feelings of ruling party MPs.
“NRM overwhelms us with their number, but they use resources in their caucuses to come up with decisions which are not pro-people,” says Ms Aol.

NRM caucus vice chairperson Solomon Silwany (NRM, Bukholi Central) asks the Opposition to cause order in their house, denying any form of political or material coercion in their caucus.
“There is no coercion in our caucuses because you cannot coerce MPs who are adults. In a multiparty system, there is caucusing but we have room for those who disagree with caucus positions,” he says.
“Of course the challenge with Opposition is their numbers. If I were in the Opposition, I would be thinking so much on how to work with NRM to make them vote our positions in Parliament.”
Does Opposition caucus?
Does the Opposition then caucus to influence debate in a coherent manner as envisaged by multi-party political dispensation?
“The number is small and we are divided. First of all, the Opposition does not have only one caucus, we have many. The Leader of Opposition in Parliament (Winnie Kiiza) tries so much to bring us together but she fails,” says Ms Aol.
Opposition Chief Whip Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda admits that the advantage of numbers is enjoyed by the ruling party caucus, but finds solace in “research”.
“While the NRM mobilises numbers, we find time to do research. If you look at the first months of the 10th Parliament, the bulk of business was being generated by us partly because we are doing research,” says he.
Mr Ssemujju admits that the Opposition caucus remains a house divided, citing what he sees as traitorous behaviour on the part of their partner, the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC).
“In broader issues you will have them, but when it comes to plotting against the NRM, it will be difficult to do that with UPC,” he says.
To demonstrate discordance in their ranks, Mr Ssemujju says he assigned Maxwell Akora (UPC, Maruzi) to a committee, before learning that Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa had already designated him as vice chairperson of the Information, Communication and Technology Committee.
Efforts to get a comment from UPC whip Santa Alum (Oyam Woman MP) for this interview were futile as our phone calls and messages went unanswered.

‘Research instead of weak caucuses’
Legislative researcher Hippo Twebaze recommends research instead of weak caucuses, which he believes will reinforce them against the NRM majority.
“Once their positions are well researched, it becomes difficult for the government to oppose them, it is how best Opposition views are researched, and then it becomes difficult for government to oppose them,” says Mr Twebaze.
Citing disharmony as the major let-down to serious Opposition parliamentary caucusing, Makerere University history don Mwambutsya Ndebesa argues that disunity consigns Opposition to a tight corner in parliamentary politics.
“They are currently divided, so they cannot offer joint strength in Parliament,” he says.
Mr Mwambutsya sees parliamentary committees as an avenue where the Opposition can caucus and “channel their views because when it comes to the plenary, they have no influence”.

Lessons from Kenya
Asked how they hold together and influence the national assembly business, Kenya’s minority leader Washington Jakoyo Midiwo says it is through across-the-floor negotiations and bi-partisan appeals that they manage to carry through.
“You know it is not easy, but the best way for us here in parliament is; we have to negotiate across the floor. There are issues where we employ give-and-take and issues where we take a stand,” says Mr Midiwo, an opposition Orange Democratic Movement lawmaker representing Gem constituency.
Mr Midiwo says they manage to hold together because “luckily ODM has an overwhelming majority in the minority but we rule ourselves by consensus”.

Political researcher Dr Frederick Kisekka-Ntale corroborates Mr Midiwo’s position, but adds that the Opposition political parties sending MPs to Parliament contribute little to their individual victories.

What leaders say

“I don’t know how they arrive at any decision; we just meet on the floor of the House. The Opposition operates on cliques, there is nothing, we are just holding out as imposters”
Samuel Odonga Otto (FDC, Aruu County)

“The party leading the Opposition (FDC) is the one that organises us. The LoP calls us but as you know there is a problem with Opposition. Some members of the Opposition are sometimes divergent and they run away from issues,”
Joseph Ssewungu (DP, Kalungu West)

“Selfishness within our ranks cannot allow us to come together,”
Ibrahim Kasozi Biribawa (FDC, Makindye East)

“One thing I know is that they don’t have a good mobilisation strategy and, therefore, they cannot have a good caucus. For us (NRM) we are never forced to take positions, we discuss and agree as a family”
Amero Susan (NRM, Amuria)

“Apart from DP, I am not aware of another Opposition caucus. As the Democratic Party, we normally converge and caucus with respect to the order paper so that we come out with a joint position on the floor of the House,”
Veronica Nanyondo (DP, Bukomansimbi)

“The Opposition has to see; what are the alternatives? This involves reaching out to caucuses and building a forum where they can build consensus on issues and appeal to NRM moderates. Caucusing in the Opposition has to be as a way of alternative mobilisation”
Dr Kisekka Ntale, researcher

Samuel Odonga Otto (FDC, Aruu County) :
“I don’t know how they arrive at any decision; we just meet on the floor of the House. The Opposition operates on cliques, there is nothing, we are just holding out as imposters.”

Dr Kisekka Ntale, researcher
“The Opposition has to see; what are the alternatives? This involves reaching out to caucuses and building a forum where they can build consensus on issues and appeal to NRM moderates. Caucusing in the Opposition has to be as a way of alternative mobilisation.”

Joseph Ssewungu (DP, Kalungu West):
“The party leading the Opposition (FDC) is the one that organises us. The LoP calls us but as you know there is a problem with Opposition. Some members of the Opposition are sometimes divergent and they run away from issues.”