Africa-Press – Uganda. Democratic Party (DP) President General Norbert Mao has declared his intention to contest for the position of Speaker of Parliament, saying the move follows encouragement from several Members of Parliament who believe in his leadership.
Mao says the cooperation agreement between the Democratic Party and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) places him at an advantage, noting that he expects support from NRM legislators, who hold the majority in the incoming 12th Parliament.
As Members of Parliament prepare to take office following the general elections, the race for the Speakership has begun to take shape.Mao is among those seeking the position currently held by Speaker Anita Annet Among, who is also expected to seek another term.
The DP leader says a number of MPs have already reached out to him, pledging support and assuring him of votes. According to Mao, some of his supporters have compared his leadership style to that of the late former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, whom they describe as an exceptional and unifying leader.
Mao further revealed that he has already begun consultations with President Yoweri Museveni under the framework of the DP–NRM cooperation agreement.
Although DP currently has only six Members of Parliament, Mao says he remains confident that the partnership, coupled with his personal leadership credentials, strengthens his chances.
Addressing DP’s performance in the recent elections, Mao acknowledged the party’s declining influence in Buganda, where it secured only one parliamentary seat in Bukoto Central.
He attributed the setback to internal dissent, claiming that some party members moved around telling supporters that DP had been “sold” to NRM, which eroded public trust.
Mao also admitted that the cooperation agreement with NRM did not translate into tangible electoral gains for DP. He said many grassroots NRM leaders treated DP candidates as competitors rather than partners, undermining the spirit of the alliance.
According to Mao, the election outcome highlights the need to reassess how the cooperation agreement operates at the grassroots level to ensure mutual understanding and fairness between the two parties.
Commenting on the conduct of the elections, Mao alleged that there were widespread irregularities, particularly at some tallying centres.
He blamed the Electoral Commission and called for reforms to improve the credibility and efficiency of the electoral process.
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