Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) members have revealed that they will not support Maracha County legislator Denis Lee Oguzu in the race for Parliament Deputy Speakership.
A few days ago, Oguzu, a member of FDC announced that he had joined the race to replace Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah who is challenging for Speakership of Parliament.
Oguzu noted that there was an urgent need for reforms in the office of the deputy Speaker which forced him to seek the mandate of the members of the eleventh Parliament to help him return sanity to Parliament.
“We might not have been in that parliament long enough, but we have been around too long to know what has become of that office,” Oguzu told the media recently.
He also referred to the office currently occupied by Oulanyah as an avenue that has become nothing but one where all kinds of dubious bills are cleared from and he offers a change in leadership as the only solution to turn things right.
Oguzu also cautioned members against following party affiliations while deciding on the next Deputy Speaker, a move in the past that has germinated the current rot.
However, his party leadership has asked him to step down because they have already endorsed their party candidates and these are; the Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju for Speakership and the newly elected Mawokota South MP Yusuf Nsibambi for Deputy Speakership.
The leaders cautioned that they will not allow party members to start misbehaving by leaving what the party agreed on and follow their own motives.
According to FDC assistant Secretary-General Harold Kaijja, before endorsing the two, the party asked whoever had an interest in the two offices to declare his intentions. But only two members came out.
He however noted that Oguzu’s issue is to be handled by the Party president Patrick Amuriat Oboi.
“He did it in a wrong way because the party gave time to whoever had the interest to join the race for both Speakership and Deputy however, Hon Akanya and Ssemujju came up for Speakership and through negotiations, Ekanya left for Ssemujju. Hon Nsibambi came for the Deputy post and no one else showed interest in that post. So for someone to come out and start to disorganize our lineup, it looks like they want to divert from the party’s decision. But what I think the party president will talk with him,” Kaija said.
If negotiations fail, Oguzu will join the already congested list of candidates vying for the slot which includes Kampala Central’s Muhammad Nsereko, West Budama’s Jacob Oboth Oboth, Bukedea Woman MP Anita Among, Buyaga West’s Barnabas Tinkasimire, and Minister David Bahati among others.
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