Museveni calls NRM rebel MPs for talks

KAMPALA.

In a covert political deal, that analysts say “seeks to pull the rug under former premier Amama Mbabazi’s feet” in the race to 2016, President Museveni has invited the four expelled NRM MPs for a meeting at State House on July 1.

It Is expected Mr Museveni, the NRM national chairman, and the maverick MPs will discuss the possibility of their return to the NRM party, which they criticised for treating them like outsiders .

In April 2013, the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) on recommendation of the party disciplinary committee voted to expel MPs Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga), Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East), Muhammad Nsereko (Kampala Central) and Barnabas Tinkasiimire (Buyaga East).

The MPs were accused of indiscipline. Rwampara MP Vincent Kyamadidi survived the axe and was handed a three-months suspension. The MPs ran to court challenging their dismissal and the case has dragged on since.

This newspaper understands from credible sources that the four MPs accepted to meet the NRM leader although the quartet said they have not yet seen the invitation for the meeting.

President Museveni is also said to have summoned the NRM’s top decision-making organ, the Central Executive Committee (CEC), to sit this Wednesday to brief them on “important matters” of the state. In this meeting, the President is expected to explain why he wants the expelled MPs back to NRM.

The NRM parliamentary caucus has also been summoned to State House Entebbe today. Pending legislation, the Mbabazi presidential bid and the fate of the expelled MPs is expected to feature on the agenda, sources said.

The lawyers for the two sides in the ‘rebel’ MPs’ case litigation were also invited for the meeting. Although Mr Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the NRM lead counsel, did not answer our calls, Daily Monitor understands that the ‘rebel’ MPs will meet their lawyers to brief them on the new developments should “an out of court settlement” become a possibility.

Explaining why Mr Museveni has decided to mend fences, Mr Mwambutsya Ndebesa, a political historian at Makerere University, said the issue is not so much about fostering cohesion within the ruling party but survival politics.
“The game plan is an attempt to bring the rebel MPs back to NRM with their supporters and ensure that they don’t go to the undisclosed Mbabazi camp,” Mr Ndebesa said, adding: “In the event that Museveni fails to woo them, the alternative is Mbabazi and I doubt whether Museveni will allow this to happen; after all in politics there are no permanent enemies and friends, but only permanent interests.”
Mr Mbabazi, the former party secretary general, championed the process that saw the MPs expelled.

However, recent events show that they seem to have mended fences.

Weighing in on the Mbabazi factor, Mr Siraje Nsanja, a don at Kampala University described, the four rebel MPs as “a drop in the ocean” of NRM supporters across the country. Mr Nsanja, however, pointed out that Mr Mbabazi’s political statements at MP Tinkasimiire’s wedding could have sent “political tremours.”
Senior party members told Daily Monitor at the weekend that the President made a U-turn following “consistent calls” from senior party members, asking him and other CEC members to recall “the prodigal sons.” It was feared that left alone, the MPs would freely join the camp of former Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi who on June 15 declared he would contest for president.

The NRM Caucus vice chairman, Peter Ogwang said: “The party chairman believes in reconciliation. By reaching out to the expelled members, he is leading by example. If he wants to bring the four MPs home, who are we to question him?”

NRM secretary general Justine Kasule Lumumba said she was waiting for the brief about the meeting.

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