Mr. Mao Norbert (in blue neck tie), addressing the media in Gulu.
“If you have a snake in your house, are you going to negotiate with the snake to get out? Our struggle is to build Uganda beyond President Museveni. We wish to announce formally that after the Reunion in Makerere, which brought together all factions of the DP, we have established a caravan which will take us to every corner of the country to preach the message to all political forces opposed to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government”
“We need proportional representation. The NRM, which actually has only 8% support in the country does not enjoy 80% support of the population. The government needs new birth control in order to run lean government and reduce on administrative costs. One Member of Parliament should not represent less than one hundred thousand people”
GULU-UGANDA: Uganda’s oldest political party, the Democratic Party (DP), which is headed by the charismatic politician from northern Uganda, Mr. Mao Norbert, is set to unveil a 17-points program to dislodge the long serving military dictator, General Yoweri Museveni from power.
General Yoweri Museveni, who has already been in power for 32 years and still counting, recently maneuvered a constitutional amendment through parliament and removed the 75 year-cap age limit for a presidential candidate to allow him run again in 2021 when his current term of office expires. His real age of 74 is disputed by many who say that he is much older.
His party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), enjoys absolute majority in parliament.
NRM’s oppositional political party, the Democratic party, says it has developed new strategies to circumvent Dictator Museveni’s long stay in power. This was revealed by the party’s President General Mr. Mao, during a press briefing held at the Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC) offices in Gulu, on Friday, July 13, 2018. He said the revolution will be carried out in three phases, namely; regime change, transitional period and a new Uganda with new rules and a small government.
“If you have a snake in your house, are you going to negotiate with the snake to get out? Our struggle is to build Uganda beyond President Museveni. We wish to announce formally that after the Reunion in Makerere, which brought together all factions of the DP, we have established a caravan which will take us to every corner of the country to preach the message to all political forces opposed to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government”, Mr. Mao says.
He was accompanied to the media briefing by top national officials of the DP including Mr. Mabike Michael, a founding member of Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) – the youth wing of the Democratic Party, Member of Parliament for Gulu Municipality – Lyandro Komakech, National chairperson Women League – Francesca Amony, Mzee Kerobino Uma, the Gulu district DP chairman, among others.
The caravan, according to Mao, will move to 19 different locations/towns spread across the country to preach the good news of why all political forces opposed to dictator General Museveni, must put away their differences and work together to dislodge his grip on power.
He said his party has taken the lead to unite all Ugandans by bringing together all factions of the DP plus its youth wing – the Uganda Young Democrats through the caravan code named: DP-UYD Reunion.
Gulu will host the caravan on Friday, August 3, 2017, during which the 17-points program will be unveiled to the public in the region for the first time.
“It is not only through any election time table that regime change can come about. The government can be out (changed) even today if we are united as Ugandans. It is possible. The struggle has no owner. Everybody is welcome to solve Uganda’s problems, DP, FDC, etc.”, Mao said.
Mr. Mao explained that once regime change is achieved; Ugandans will set up what he called a “Transitional Government of National Unity” in the second phase, whose main function shall be to establish a ‘Stolen Assets Recovery Tribunal’; and that the government will be run on clear ideologies.
He says the third phase will be establishing a ‘new government’ with new rules/constitution, a ‘National Truth and Reconciliation’ process, smaller government and proportional representation.
“We need proportional representation. The NRM, which actually has only 8% support in the country does not enjoy 80% support of the population outside Parliament. The government needs new birth control in order to run lean government and reduce on administrative costs. One Member of Parliament should not represent less than one hundred thousand people”, Mao says.
Mr. Mabike Michael, a founding member of UYD, says his party executive has decided to take the bull by the horn because the leadership never served the dictator in any capacity since it came to power thirty-two years ago.
He was quick to add however that DP is ready to work with all those elements in the other political parties, including the ruling NRM to cause regime change, bring hope and good governance in Uganda.
“We have devised new tactics that will break the Carmel’s back. It is no longer business as usual. We are building a coalition of the entire opposition to oust the dictator and we are ready to work with all those in other parties” Mr. Mabike says.
Coalitions has always failed in Uganda since independence because of infiltration by the power that be and greed; the last being ‘The Democratic Alliance” (TDA) which tried to field in a single candidate against General Museveni during the 2016 elections. It is yet to be seen if this will succeed.
