The warning by the National Resistance Movement chairman Mr Yoweri Museveni against party members starting early campaigns has sent some prominent aspirants vying for party positions, back on the drawing boards.
Ahead of the weekend delegates conference, Party heavy weights including the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah, had expressed interest in competing for some of the fat positions in the party.
However, now Oulanyah says he has not announced that he is standing.
“I have social media handlers. I was not even in the country. I came back yesterday (Saturday) late afternoon. So certainly, I was not among the people mentioned.” He said.
Posters came out showing Mr Oulanyah wanted the position of Vice Chairman for Northern Region. The position is current occupied by Retired Col Charles Engola.
The other people include Sam Kuteesa, the foreign affairs minister who recently announced he was stepping out of elective politics in Sembabule.
However, President Museveni was not amused that the delegates conference meant to resolve one of the most contentious issues voting system, was hijacked by members who want other positions. Mr Museveni could have seen the move as diversionary at the time, he wanted party cohesion on the matter.
NRM resolved over the weekend that they will be voting in primaries by lining up behind candidates, instead of using the secret ballot system. Critics have already pointed out that the system is against the constitution, which is the highest law in the land. Others have expressed fear that Uganda might slide back into voting by lining during general elections.
The politics in the NRM, as the biggest political party in the country, determine the course of national politics, and top party organs in the party, such as the Central Executive Committee (CEC) now wields a lot of power. It passes without saying that several party leaders want to belong to CEC, and Mr Museveni who keeps his sight on politics across the board, must be interested in further studying people who want to join CEC.
Mr Museveni on the weekend criticized people who are rushing for positions and at some point, called them “greedy”.
He said, “When people heard that I had called for a conference, they started campaigning; when you go for Christmas you don’t go campaigning, you go for prayers.”
He added, “I called you here to help you know our ideology and prescription for the problems affecting our ordinary people.”
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
