By Andrew Cohen Amvesi
ARUA
Gerald Siranda, the Secretary General of the Democratic Party (DP) has said under the leadership of party President, Nobert Mao, they have decided to become the mopper in the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government.
Speaking during the official launch of the party membership registration exercise for the West Nile sub-region in Arua city on Wednesday June 19, 2024, Siranda said the reason they are acting as the mopper in this government is to realize the long-awaited peaceful transition of power within the system.
“What we are trying to do, the DP under Nobert Mao, we have decided to be a mopper. For you to enter the house you must mop but outside, you put where you clean your feet. Uganda needs the process that we are going through for us to present the alternative and our colleagues who say we are wrong, they don’t provide the alternative,” Siranda said about the DP and NRM working agreement.
He added that: “There is a man called William Samoei Ruto, this man was with Raila Odinga in opposition, what did he do, he strategized himself and joined Uhuru Kenyatta, he learnt how to manage government and today, he is managing government. In Africa, you can never come from the outside and you think you can get trust to manage the nation.”
As a result, Siranda said the DP is the alternative the country wants because of their decision to work with the ruling NRM government.
“President Museveni himself is in captivity, he requires assurance that people will see. The DP wants to put a stoppage so that leaders leave power peacefully. There should be a ladder that takes you up and a ladder that brings you down. Therefore, our chairpersons, in this arrangement, we are here to assure you that as registered members, be very careful, we can allow you to be our candidates but we may not allow you to be our party leader because there is a difference between being a candidate and a party leader,” Siranda stated.
He observed that they want to use this process of cooperation with the NRM to build the DP party, mobilize and to be organized at the end of the day.
“So, today, as we register members, we are also identifying candidates because we lead the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and we are also the supervisor of the Electoral Commission, isn’t that part of the power that we want? We want to assure you that all our candidates will be supported, prepared and winning is the last thing that we will do,” Siranda said.
In his remarks, Herbert Rutagwera, the DP national organizing secretary said the registration exercise is aimed at separating real DP members from well-wishers, supporters and fans, adding that they want to know exactly who their members are.
He noted that the exercise is inline with the DP roadmap and strategic plan for the years 2021 to 2026.
Fadhil Lemeriga, the Arua city DP chairperson said the exercise will help them to identify the genuine party members since they will be required to formally subscribe to the party right from the village to national level.
