Mbabazi fights back in NRM CEC meeting Former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi last week warned the NRM leadership not to use the party’s organs to fight political wars, sources who attended the November 13 Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting have told The Observer. Mbabazi, who had largely kept to himself since his sacking, told bemused senior NRM leaders at State House, Entebbe, that organs like the parliamentary caucus and CEC had been used as platforms to character-assassinate people like him. According to our source, Mbabazi questioned the manner in which the party officials led by Museveni had endorsed the resolution by a committee led by Wakiso Woman MP, Rosemary Sseninde, to have an “appointive” secretary general instead of an “elected” one. “There is a reason why the party found it fit to have a secretary general elected. We wanted to encourage competition and internal democracy,” Mbabazi reportedly said. Mbabazi, the current NRM secretary general, took forced leave on October 20 till December 31, 2014. However, it is highly likely that by the time the Kinkiizi West MP returns, he will no longer be secretary general as his fate will have been sealed in the December 15 delegates’ conference. Although the meeting discussed the Sseninde report at length, our sources told us that the modalities of how the secretary general will be appointed were referred to the NRM legal committee for further scrutiny. The committee, led by Adolf Mwesige, the minister for Local Government, is expected to report its recommendations to the CEC before the delegates’ conference next month. Mbabazi also reportedly used the same meeting of the party’s second top-most decision-making organ to express his dismay at the way some ministers, who are criss-crossing the country on a pro-Museveni assignment, are tarnishing his name. Mbabazi reportedly accused some of insulting him and his family with the intent of inciting anger against him. Our sources told us that Mbabazi refused to be drawn into whether he will stand for president in 2016, choosing to keep quiet. There was also a small exchange between Mbabazi and Jim Muhwezi, our sources confirmed, despite Muhwezi’s denial in The New Vision on Monday. Our sources said Muhwezi was not impressed by Mbabazi’s reluctance to declare his political ambitions and told him so. In February 2014, during a week-long retreat, NRM MPs adopted a proposal to have President Museveni carry the NRM flag as its sole candidate for the 2016 elections. But this proposal has since generated controversy, with a section of party supporters, particularly those aligned with Mbabazi, saying it is a ploy to lock out Museveni’s would-be challengers. Paranoia kicks in With President Museveni unhappy that details of previous CEC meetings had leaked to the press, this time there was a deliberate attempt to prevent leakages. Before the meeting commenced, all members were asked to surrender their phones for fear that some might record the proceedings. The phones were handed back to them after the meeting. The president warned members against revealing what had been discussed to third parties, saying those that do not adhere to this would be found out. Some members interpreted Museveni’s warning to mean that their phones would be tapped, which is why many were cagey to talk to the media after the latest CEC meeting. Indeed, unlike the October 18 CEC meeting, details of last week’s meeting still remain scanty. observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35047:fallout-over-nrm-meeting-&catid=78:topstories&Itemid=116
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 01:00:52 +0000
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