{UAH} EXCLUSIVE: Mbabazi Quietly Toppled as NRM Secretary General

http://chimpreports.com/exclusive-mbabazi-finally-toppled-as-nrm-secretary-general/

EXCLUSIVE: Mbabazi Quietly Toppled as NRM Secretary General

The reign of former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi as the ruling NRM party's Secretary General (SG), has finally been brought to an end by what officials described as "overwhelming pressure" from the political organisation's second highest ranking organ – the Central Executive Committee.

While it is the National Delegates Conference that is mandated to remove the SG, Mbabazi on Saturday night agreed to relinquish the position after realising that he was headed for the humiliation of being impeached.

Already, several ministers including the 'acting' Secretary General, Richard Todwong, are moving around the country mobilising signatures to impeach Mbabazi for "betraying the party's cause by engaging in clandestine campaigns to undermine the party chairman."

Mbabazi was also accused of failure to recruit new members for the party and hiding the NRM members' register.

Blow by blow

The 13-hour meeting at State House Nakasero started at 10:00am.

Mbabazi, well known for being a good time keeper, arrived very early in preparation for the meeting.

On the agenda was the disharmony in the party sparked by Mbabazi's presidential ambitions and his alleged grassroot mobilisation ahead of the 2016 elections.

The CEC had postponed the meeting from Thursday to Saturday in the interest of time.

Museveni could not meet CEC on Friday as he had to travel to Kalama Warfare training School in Masindi to pass out new commanders.

On Saturday morning, CEC members who included Mike Mukula, Ruhakana Rugunda, Jim Muhwezi, Sam Engola, Amelia Kyambadde, Amama Mbabazi, Jacqueline Mbabazi and Matayo Kyaligonza among others sat quietly at Nakasero, waiting for Museveni.

Clad in a stripped shirt and khaki trousers coupled with brightly polished black shoes, Mbabazi appeared psychologically prepared for a stormy meeting.

According to our multiple sources who attended the Thursday and Saturday meetings, the last one was "hotter" as members expressed their burning desire to have Mbabazi removed from his post of SG.

Majority of the members accused Mbabazi of running NRM as a family enterprise and falling short of spearheading recruitment campaigns to popularise NRM at the grassroots.

He was also blamed for allowing his family members including Jacqueline and Lenina Mbabazi to attack and humiliate the party chairman in the media.

Decision taken

At around 9pm, the NRM National Vice Chairman for Northern Region, Sam Engola supported by the majority of the members, stood to move a motion asking Mbabazi to immediately resign as the Secretary General.

"We have wasted enough time already. Starting from Thursday to today and nothing is coming out. Chairman and members I am now ready to move a motion asking our SG to resign," Engola told the meeting.

The Engola motion was well prepared with details of Mbabazi's alleged "political crimes" such as underground campaigns and mobilization activities in Lango; the Namboole match incident among others.

Muhwezi, Kyambadde, Abdul Nadduli, Mukula, Brig. Kyaligonza among others supported Engola to have Mbabazi out.

Mbabazi, being a smart lawyer, immediately rose to his feet before threatening to "seek legal redress" if he is forced out of his "elective position."

Mbabazi was looking straight in Museveni's eyes as a wave of uncertainty swept through the room.

After about 30 seconds of silence, Engola started putting his files in order as members started whispering that he just moves ahead with the motion.

They said NRM should prepare to face Mbabazi should he opt for court action.

Museveni, who was for the better part of the meeting quiet, closed his eyes for a few moments.

When he opened his eyes, Museveni, who was listening attentively, told members that the court battle would dent the image of the biggest party ahead of the 2016 elections.

"Members, going to court is not a bad thing since courts are there to solve differences but in this case I think we should listen to each other and we solve the matter among ourselves," Museveni was quoted as saying.

Mbabazi Agrees To Leave

After president Museveni`s soft interjection and seeing that most members were against him, Mbabazi agreed to exit NRM's powerful office but on conditions which he gave to CEC.

Mbabazi was quoted as saying he had "reconsidered going to court" but that he would need time to leave the SG post.

Mbabazi further pleaded that for the party's reputation, it should not be seen as if he was pushed from NRM's second top position.

We have now reliably learnt that the game plan is for Mbabazi to go on "official leave" and never to return as SG.

Todwong will run the office until a substantive SG is elected.

According to sources, Mbabazi is supposed to leave office next Thursday.

National Delegates Conference

Meanwhile, we have also learnt that the National Delegates Conference, the highest decision making organ of the party is going to convene on December 15 to formally decide on someone to replace Mbabazi.

It remains unclear if Mbabazi will attend the conference. However, by virtue of his position as NRM MP for Kanungu and historical, he may make an appearance at Namboole.

Analysis

The latest developments are likely to reignite debate on the internal democracy within NRM.

While many observers will take this as witch-hunt of Mbabazi for harbouring presidential ambitions, insiders say they were uncomfortable with his alleged clandestine mobilisation style that involved use of money to undermine the party chairman.

FDC President Gen Muntu recently attributed the fall out between Mr. Mbabazi and President Museveni to the latter's failure to build cohesion and strengthen internal democracy within the NRM party throughout its 3-decade reign.

Muntu told press on Monday that Mbabazi, like himself and many Movement historicals were running away from the lack of democracy, unfairness and injustice within the party.

"Why do you think we hastened to leave the Movement? We went through hell. By the time the first group fell off and the second and the third, and now many others currently sitting on the fence waiting to jump off, it was because of the bad internal management of the NRM."

He added, "Humans want freedom. They want an environment where they will be listened to, when there is grievance. But when you suppress, manipulate and intimidate them, you can hold them together for a while, but at given point, an implosion will come. That's what is happening in the NRM."

Business SG

However, presidential aide in charge of research and information, Morrison Rwakakamba says there are instances where a reigning SG organizes his own election.

"Such a situation breeds democratic imbalance when it comes to electing the next secretary General. This particular complaint was raised during and after the last NRM National Conference at Mandela National Stadium- Namboole," said Rwakakamba.

"In fact, opponents of the in-office SG strongly pointed out that the ground was not level and tilted in favour of the one organizing the elections, managing accreditation, running the NRM register and all the paraphernalia that go with electioneering. This can't be ignored."

Rwakakamba advises that the NRM constitution should therefore be amended to the change the position of the current politically elected Secretary General into a 'business' Secretary General, competitively procured and appointed by the National Executive Council or an appointment's committee mandated by National Executive Council in accordance with an amended NRM constitution that caters for an appointed SG.

"The business Secretary General should be mandated to work as the full time, competitively remunerated Chief operations officer, running the NRM secretariat in a technical professional manner, and evaluated on agreed performance benchmarks and indicators set by the National Executive Council or a body and or a committee mandated by National Executive Council. The foregoing will require amendment of the NRM constitution – especially article 16 which deals with mandate and management of the NRM secretariat," he opines.

Mobilisation

Chimpreports is yet to understand whether the collection of signatures initially aimed at removing Mbabazi from office will continue.

In collecting signatures, Todwong is handling the Northern region, the Government Chief Whip; Justine Kasule Lumumba has taken charge of the East while the Minister for Information and National Guidance, Rose Namayanja is in charge of Central region.

The Minister of Presidency and KCCA, Frank Tumwebaze, is mobilising Western region.

The Deputy Presidential spokesperson, Linda Nabusayi confirmed the meetings at State House, saying, "The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the National Resistance Movement has decided that the reported disharmony within the Movement be resolved decisively in order to ensure cohesion within the Movement Organisation."

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