{UAH} Ms Mbabazi is losing relevance - Todwong, Karooro - National - monitor.co.ug
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Ms Mbabazi is losing relevance - Todwong, Karooro - National
In Summary
According to Ms Mbabazi, the NRM Women's League, where she is the chairperson, has never endorsed Mr Museveni as the sole party presidential candidate in 2016.
The NRM Women's League chairperson, Ms Jacqueline Mbabazi, is losing relevance and grip of her party position, two senior party leaders and ministers; Richard Todwong and Mary Karooro Okurut have said.
In an exclusive interview with this newspaper yesterday, Mr Todwong, the minister for Political Mobilisation and de facto secretary general of the party, described Ms Mbabazi's comments in the media denying that the women's league had endorsed the Kyankwazi resolution as, personal views that were unfortunate.
At the weekend, Ms Mbabazi told this newspaper, "I am not aware of any such decision by the Women's League top leadership that endorsed the Kyankwazi resolution to ring-fence President Museveni as the party's sole candidate in 2016."
"They have done it in their individual capacities but not as Women's League," she added.
Intriguingly though, 10 of the 11 executives of the league said on record, they had endorsed the controversial resolution mooting for President Museveni's sole candidature as NRM flag bearer for the 2016 general elections.
Reacting to the statement, Mr Todwong laughed off the embattled cadre's remarks, saying: "I don't think there is any rift in the league, if she feels not part of that she is free to say it. She has a right not to support it for reasons known to all."
In a veiled attack at the league's leader who recently accused the Inspector General of Police of using 'thugs' to taint her husband's image, Ms Karooro, also the Minister for Gender and NRM spokesperson, said: "I don't understand what she says. She needs to be educated on what endorsement means because if 90 per cent of the women's league has endorsed the resolution, what more does she need to call it endorsement?"
"Nobody understands her when she disputes these obvious facts. It is ridiculous of any sane leader! I am reliably informed that they even consulted their constituencies so what more does one demand for God's sake?" she wondered.
Ms Karooro added: "All in all, it is a waste of time because nobody can divorce the support of women from President Museveni. We know how far he has brought us and you know once women are with you, the rest follow."
Ms Mbabazi could not be reached for a comment as her known phone contacts were off by press time.
Mr Todwong, however, said of her: "She can call it opinions of the women's league members but she shouldn't forget that they represent the masses who were consulted. But, of course, if you are against your own executive and cannot agree with it, as chairperson, I think you are losing relevance."
The ruling party's supreme decision making organ, the Central Executive Committee reportedly received the resolution, seen as a mirror of wider cracks in the party, with mixed feelings.
To-date, it has not officially come out to pronounce itself on the touchy issue, still considered a mere opinion of the MPs and devoid of a binding force in the party.
iokuda@ug.nationmedia.com
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