{UAH} Museveni moves to forestall imminent fallout within NRM - News -

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Museveni-moves-to-forestall--imminent-fallout-within-NRM-/-/2558/2235898/-/fuhq11/-/index.html

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Museveni moves to forestall imminent fallout within NRM

Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi. Analysts say President Yoweri Museveni needs to rein in ambitious members and maintain party cohesion, but PM's wife accuses the head of state of trying to push the Secretary-General out of the party. TEA Graphic|File  

Days after turning the guns on his longtime ally, friend and ruling party secretary-general Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, President Yoweri Museveni was moving to manage the possible fallout that has shaken the National Resistance Movement party.

In signs that he had embarked on a delicate balancing act, President Museveni held a long afternoon meeting with Mr Mbabazi on Thursday, during which they were believed to have discussed the likely consequences of the highly publicised fallout within the party.

The meeting took place at State House Entebbe. It was just the two of them and according to latest information on Friday, was aimed at finding a compromise ahead of a crucial meeting of the Central Executive Committee meeting on Friday.

In a statement sent to media houses on Friday morning, President Museveni denied that the party caucus meeting at State House on Tuesday had relieved Mr Mbabazi of his post as secretary-general. However, the president confirmed that Richard Todwong would help run the SG's day-to-day party tasks.

For Museveni, who needs to rein in ambitious members and maintain party loyalty ahead of the 2016 elections, the events of the week threatened to polarise supporters.

"In any case the NRM Parliamentary Caucus did not pass formal resolutions.  Therefore, the NRM supporters are requested to stay calm and continue with their normal work. The leadership, under my oversight, is handling all the issues caused by the rumours," President Museveni said in the statement.

According to insiders, at the centre of the struggle is the bid for control of the NRM's top positions amid growing internal discontent that had degenerated into intolerance of anybody who dared to challenge the status quo.

At the Tuesday caucus, apparently Mr Mbabazi faced accusations that bordered on subversion against President Museveni.  

According to reports, President Museveni confronted his premier with intelligence reports indicating that the latter planned to contest the presidency.

The reports indicated that people around Mr Mbabazi had been using the party structures to mobilise support to overthrow President Museveni.

Matters came to a head when Mr Mbabazi was stripped of his duties as secretary-general during a March 5 meeting, showing that President Museveni was not ready to tolerate opposition from within.

"This was bound to happen; it was just a matter of time. This is President Museveni's character. I saw it coming and I told Mr Mbabazi this in the last parliament, I hope he remembers it," said veteran politician Livingstone Okello Okello.

Mr Mbabazi is considered the president's right hand man and has worked with him since the 1970s.

He was the president's personal assistant at the time Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979.

Mr Mbabazi has mirrored the president in every aspect and this, analysts say, could have been his biggest opportunity to further his political career but also a path to his downfall since he failed to exploit it.

Though seen as one of the most effective and efficient public administrators in Uganda to date, Mr Mbabazi's steadfast loyalty to President Museveni has alienated him from many people, leaving him vulnerable to and dependent on President Museveni.

Museveni's support
His perceived strength, politicians and analysts conclude, is therefore derived from President Museveni, who has now put out all war to cripple him.

Museveni moves to forestall imminent fallout within NRM - News -
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Museveni-moves-to-forestall--imminent-fallout-within-NRM-/-/2558/2235898/-/fuhq11/-/index.html