The Democratic Party (DP) has threatened to pull out of the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) if the National Resistance Movement (NRM) continues disrespecting the opposition.
Last year in December, IPOD member parties (JEEMA, Uganda Peoples’ Congress, NRM and DP) held a summit at Munyonyo where many resolutions were made. President Yoweri Museveni promised his counterparts among others that they will have equal opportunities while practicing politics.
However, all what was agreed seems to have been dumped in a bin since police and other authorities have continued terrorizing opposition political players. This was first witnessed when DP member Moses Bigirwa was arrested and detained at Kawempe Police station at the end of last year while undertaking his freedom.
This week as DP members were resuming their reunion Caravan in Busoga, Police heavily deployed with a purpose blocking the event saying they lacked an official permission letter from the authority.
The party president Norbert Mao was also arrested and taken to Jinja Central Police Station as he tried to protest against the police’s decision.
In a meeting held on Saturday at Flora Hotel Wakiso district, Mao said that if IPOD committee members don’t come out and discuss the current way NRM party is treating others, dialogue will be meaningless.
“The way we are treated I don’t see any validity of IPOD, we caution the committee to come out and speak about this situation before it becomes tougher,” said Mao.
According to the resolution of the last summit, it was agreed that the Prime Minister will always organize and inform all heads of security organs in the country and brief them about about how they should treat opposition political players. , to Mao,it looks like nothing was respected.
On the issue of Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Namboze calling him a pumpkin, Mao said, “I can tell her that there will never be a lousy DP president, calling me a pumpkin is okay because I can defend my self.”
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