Democratic Party (DP) has opened up on claims by its deputy president Fred Mukasa Mbidde that the party’s 2021 presidential flag bearer, Norbert Mao, granted his request to support Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s bid.
Mbidde left Mao and his supporters disappointed after he announced he would support Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and not DP’s candidate, Mao.
A member of the regional East African Legislative Assembly (Eala), Mbidde told his supporters at Nyendo Trading Centre that Mao had allowed him to support Bobi Wine.
The DP deputy president is seeking election to the 11th Parliament as the representative for the people of Nyendo-Mukungwe in Masaka City.
But now DP spokesperson Okoler Opio Lo Amanu has accused Mbidde of telling lies.
“The statement by the DP Vice President that the President okayed his decision to support the NUP presidential candidate is totally untrue and it should not only be ignored but also treated with the utmost contempt it does deserve,” said Amanu in a statement.
“The President of Democratic Party cannot endorse support for another party’s candidate when he himself is apresidential flagbearer in the general elections in the same manner Hon. Mbidde wouldn’t endorse support for Hon. Mpuuga by agreeing with some members of his team to support his rival.”
Amanu further noted that “no party member can, in good conscience, support a candidate from another party for any position when DP has a candidate.”
He also told Mbidde to stop dragging Mao into his fight for political office.
“Members have to take responsibility for their decisions save where there’s collective responsibility based on a formal decision by a party organ,” stated Amanu.
“The Democratic Party respects freedom of members to hold opinions and make decisions but if such decisions are to be construed as being unreasonable, then members should be prepared to shoulder the burden of guilt without tagging the President General of the Party as is the case at present.”
He reiterated Mao’s statement that DP, established in 1954, was founded “for a reason, not a season.”
He urged members and leaders to back party flag bearers, warning that “members who back candidates from other parties undermine the unity and solidarity of the party.”
“While the political pressures that compel conflicted party members to get derailed into supporting candidates from other parties are understandable, they are unacceptable and contrary to the provisions of the party constitution.”
