NRM CEC drops Kadaga, endorses Oulanyah for Speakership race
What you need to know:
- After hours of question and answer session on Saturday at State House, Entebbe, Ms Kadaga, and Mr Oulanyah were told to go home at 7.30pm and wait for the CEC decision today at 8am or 10am. Following lengthy deliberations this morning, a majority of CEC members backed Mr Oulanyah to become the Speaker of the 11th Parliament over Ms Kadaga.
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) top organ, Central Executive Committee (CEC), has endorsed the Omoro County MP, Mr Jacob Oulanyah to contest as the party's flagbearer in the race for Speaker of the 11th Parliament, dropping 10th Parliament Speaker Ms Rebecca Kadaga ahead of tomorrow’s decisive vote.
After hours of question and answer session on Saturday at State House, Entebbe, Ms Kadaga, and Mr Oulanyah were told to go home at 7.30pm and wait for the CEC decision today at 8am or 10am. Following lengthy deliberations this morning, a majority of CEC members backed Mr Oulanyah to become the Speaker of the 11th Parliament over Ms Kadaga.
According to sources, many CEC members gave testimonies against Ms Kadaga over the tension that she has caused during her reign as Speaker of Parliament. The CEC also discussed issues of bribery where MPs were reportedly given money to support and vote for Ms Kadaga who is seeking another term as the speaker of Parliament, while the NRM chairman reportedly complained about candidates who defied his directive on campaigns for the position.
According to sources that attended the meeting, Mr Oulanyah used the recent performance of the National Resistance Movement in Northern in Uganda in recent polls to justify his achievements, pointing out that NRM secured more than 80 per cent of the votes in the region compared to the dismal performance from Busoga sub-region and entire Eastern Uganda, where Ms Kadaga comes from.
He also reminded members about his respect for the decision of the Central Executive Committee and the party chairman, when in 2016, he was asked to step down for Kadaga to allow her complete 10 years as Speaker. But Ms Kadaga reportedly accused Mr Oulanyah of insubordination, dodging work, and traveling all the time.
The matter is now to be presented before the NRM caucus composed of NRM Members of Parliament and Independent-leaning MPs. Mr Oulanyah will reportedly be the only candidate for NRM and will not be subjected to an election in the caucus, while the contestant for the Deputy Speaker could be subjected to a contest, according to the source.
Information coming in from Entebbe indicates that CEC has forwarded names of Thomas Tayebwa, Anita Among, and Robinah Rwakoojo to the party caucus to pick their best choice for the position of Deputy Speaker.
Pro-Kadaga legislators
A section of obdurate pro-Kadaga legislators May 22 told Daily Monitor that they’d defy NRM party structures and front their ‘ideal candidate.’
“The decisive battle will be fought on the floor of Parliament,’’ head of Ms Kadaga’s media campaign team, Mr Asuman Basalirwa said.
Before that, Ms Kadaga, 64, had voiced concern stating that “it is undemocratic” for CEC members to predetermine the party’s flag bearer in the race for the Speakership and Deputy speaker.
In a party that already has some members branded as ‘rebel MPs’, insiders say Ms Kadaga’s unruly attitude towards NRM big wigs, extending to the separation of powers- could have shaped NRM’s choice that might intensely divide the party.
Although NRM national party chairman Museveni remained reticent, the CEC’s decision comes at a time when the process was already stained with claims of ‘‘who is President Museveni’s favourite.’’
Parliamentarians congregate on May 24 as they poll to decide on Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Uganda’s 529-member House.
Additional reporting by URN
