[UAH] The Observer - How DP duped Mabikke
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The Observer - How DP duped Mabikke
Sunday, 16 June 2013 19:57
For DP or SDP: Mike Mabikke agreed to merge both parties
And the smiles, hugs and good speeches from Mabikke and other DP stalwarts provided perfect photo opportunities for journalists and enthusiastic supporters. To 'welcome Mabikke back to the fold', he was handed a hoe and a DP T-shirt (DP party symbols).
Mabikke, the former Makindye East MP, said he decided to work with DP President Norbert Mao, to make sure the party captures power in 2016.
"It is not good to be in the opposition for such a long time because parties are formed to take power," Mabikke said.
But long after the fanfare, the full story began to unravel. Mabikke later denied he had returned to DP. The Observer has learnt from people privy to the deal, that there were conditions set before he could rejoin DP, which the party officials ignored.
Sources say that the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where Mabikke is patron, and DP had agreed a merger that would also see the renaming of DP, as the New Democratic Party.
However, wary of the consequences of such a move, DP officials chose to go round that and instead used the revival crusade to look like the perfect merger.
"Nothing had been agreed then," an SDP official said.
So, to avoid a possible total disintegration of a party, which already has four factions – each bitterly contesting the leadership of DP President General Norbert Mao – the merger had to be carefully controlled, especially the way it would unfold.
According to documents The Observer has seen, the key terms of the merger included a change of name to New Democratic Party, a rose flower to be adopted as one of the symbols of the new DP, in addition to the hoe and fist. Power sharing was to be split in two, with SDP taking the secretary generalship while DP kept the presidency.
To effect this, it was proposed that two former DP presidents, Dr Paul Ssemogerere and John Ssebaana Kizito or two DP stalwarts—John B. Kakooza and Damiano Lubega, could moderate the merger talks. However, the SDP-proposed 'DP unity conference' was used to make it look like Mabikke, an invited guest, had crossed to DP. Fred Mukasa-Mbidde, the legal advisor of DP, made sure he sent out signals to that effect.
The Observer has seen a three-page letter written by SDP's secretary general, Henry Lubowa, to Mathias Nsubuga (DP's secretary general) complaining about failure by DP to respond to the merger talks.
"The action programme was drawn and no action has been taken since….Hon Mathias Nsubuga proposed that as a way of kick-starting the desired process, a get-together be organised to which key stakeholders from both parties would be invited….the event did not achieve the desired object," Lubowa says.
Lubowa's letter, written on October 8, 2012 and titled "DP-SDP TALKS", also details a series of meetings that Mao initiated with SDP shortly after the DP Mbale delegates' conference that elected him as DP party president. The first meeting took place in 2011 at JM Hotel, Bwebajja and DP was represented by JB Kawanga, Mohammed Kezaala and Mathias Nsubuga while SDP's Henry Lubowa, Asea Ozuma and Mohammed Kyambadde attended.
Fast forward in 2012, another meeting was held at Colline hotel in Mukono, where options of cooperation were explored—including a possible alliance between DP and SDP and a possible merger of SDP under DP.
Nsubuga's house
To concretise these talks, another meeting was held at Mathias Nsubuga's home at Kabuusu-Lubaga, as a follow-up to the Mukono talks, and also form a committee to fast-track what they called the "DP Unity Conference".
It consisted of Fred Mukasa Mbidde, Norbert Mao and Michael Mabikke. This committee called a meeting at Open House, Buganda road, where Mao, Mbidde, Nsubuga, Mabikke and Lubowa agreed to draw a concrete programme for the merger. According to Lubowa, DP never responded formally to all the above meetings and the merger never happened.
On June 9, the SDP spokesperson and Lugazi town council mayor, Asea Ozuma, issued a statement distancing SDP from the merger. When The Observer called Mabikke last week, he was categorical that he had never crossed to DP, and that he only attended the recent party revival crusade as a guest who was invited to give a keynote address.
Mabikke, however, admitted that talks between SDP and DP happened but nothing conclusive came out.
Mbidde spin
So, why did Mbidde make the SDP alliance to look like a merger?
Mbidde insists that DP is determined to work with every member who was once a party stalwart and that the revival crusade includes merging efforts with parties and former party members.
"Contrary to what other people say, DP is interested in the coalition but we want to go into an alliance when we have our list of candidates at all levels. That is what will enable us to lead the coalition," he said.
Mao, on the other hand, maintains that party members should embark on selling DP to former members, and also forge a way of working closely with them.
Factions or weakness
Some DP members argue that for Mao's revival crusade to be effective, party officials under his leadership should first reconcile with the many factions within DP. Samuel Lubega, who lost to Mao during the Mbale delegates' conference, says the current party leadership should first organise a new delegate's conference so that members get a new leader who will not be contested like Mao. Lubega adds that the new leader will then spearhead the revival crusade properly.
The Ssuubi faction that wants a Muganda leader, on the other hand, views Mao as weak, and this explains why they have always allied with ex-FDC President Kizza Besigye. They include Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and MPs Medard Lubega Sseggona (Busiro East), Mpuuga (Masaka municipality), Betty Nambooze (Mukono municipality) and Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi (Butambala).
Then there is the UYD group of Paul Kenneth Kakande, Luweero Woman MP Brenda Nabukenya and other youths who have also fallen out with Mao. All these factions boycotted the revival crusade launch at Nsambya Sharing hall.
dtlumu@observer.ug
http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25903:how-dp-duped-mabikke&catid=34:news&Itemid=114
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