DP annuls Mbidde faction election

The Democratic Party (DP) has declared as null and void the Sunday party election organised by the faction allied to the party vice president, Mr Fred Mukasa Mbidde.
On Sunday, the group during an election presided over by Dr Mayambala Kiwanuka, the national chairperson, elected their executive which saw Mr Mbidde bounce back unopposed as district chairperson.

On the other hand, the rival group led by Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga announced a parallel executive, with Bukoto East MP Florence Namayanja as the district party chairperson.

Mr Sulaiman Kidandala, the DP national organising secretary, presided over the function.

“I am the only one mandated by the DP constitution to organise all these elections. Our colleagues sat and elected their people without my knowledge. Such an exercise is null and void,” Mr Kidandala said.

Ms Namayanja said she will use her new role to convince all disgruntled members to rally behind her.

“Our target is to bring back all members of DP, who were previously mistreated, Mr Mbidde has failed to build cohesion in the party branch as is the case with the national executive where he is the vice president,” she said.

Elected members
Others elected on Mbidde-led executive include Aisha Nakitende (vice chairperson), Mr Jude Mbabaali (secretary general), Mr Richard Ssebamala (district party treasurer) deputised by Ms Noeline Bakusagira and Mr Dick Lukyamuzi, as the district party organising secretary.

On the rival executive, Ms Namayanja is deputised by Mr Robert Sempa, MP Mathias Mpuuga (organising secretary), MP Babirye Kabanda (treasurer), Joseph Kasirye (general secretary)and Magellan Kazibwe (legal adviser).

Prior to the weekend election, DP members in Masaka had suspended Mbidde as their chairperson.
They accuse him of fuelling chaos in the party and hobnobbing with members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

But Mr Mbidde said those who did not take part in the election exercise organised by his group have reduced their chances of attending the party delegates conference slated for May 1 to 5 in Gulu District.

“It is a pity that those who claim to love the party are the ones who want to destroy it. Let them take the path they have chosen but it will lead them elsewhere not in DP top leadership,” he said.

Mr Dick Lukyamuzi, a former political assistant to Ms Namayanja, who was elected as district organising secretary in the Mbidde faction, described Ms Namayanja as a stumbling block in uniting party members.

“It is me who brought Ms Namayanja to Bukoto East and my decision to leave her camp was the best idea,” Mr Lukyamuzi alleged.

Background
Infighting among Masaka DP members started in 2018 when Mr Mbidde declared his intention to contest against Mr Mpuuga in next year’s parliamentary elections.

Mr Mpuuga, who has served two terms as a legislator, is also a DP stalwart. Members from both camps have clashed twice in public with some sustaining injuries.

This has since forced the two warring factions to organise parallel grassroots elections ahead of the party’s delegates conference expected to take place in May.

DP, the country’s oldest party, has lived a fighting life, battling with both internal and external challenges.

Surprisingly, most disagreements usually occur at a time when members are expected to be together to fight for a common cause.

Top party leaders had anticipated that through organising countrywide reunion meetings, members of warring factions within the party will iron out their differences and emerge as a united front ahead of 2021 General Election but this has not been the case.