Kampala, Uganda | URN | The National Resistance Movement [NRM] party has undertaken an audit on the performance of the party in last month’s general elections.
Results from the January 14th general election indicate that the NRM performed poorly in the presidential and parliamentary polls in the central region.
Many of the incumbent MPs including ministers were defeated by rivals from the opposition. They include the Vice President Edward Ssekandi, Haruna Kasolo, Amelia Kyambadde, Ruth Nankabirwa, Judith Nabakooba, Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo and Rosemary Seninde among others.
High ranking party members attributed their loss to tribalism, religious sectarianism, and malicious propaganda allegedly spread by opposition candidates in connivance with some religious leaders and elements within Buganda Kingdom.
Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi, the NRM vice chairperson in charge of Buganda says they have started moving out to interact with all their flag bearers with intentions of establishing the real factors that haunted the party in the elections.
He reveals that the party has hired an independent consultant to help them conduct an independent assessment of the issues that affected the party other than relying on mere speculations and desperate emotions.
Kiwanda who was addressing former NRM flag bearers for parliamentary and LC V seats from the greater Masaka sub-region noted that they have designed a questioner which they are using to seek for honest opinions from the leaders regarding the party’s performance.
Kiwanda explains that part of their assessment questioner which is hypothetical will help the party draw a clear comparison between the political sentiments by some candidates who lost and the views of other party leaders who did not compete for any political office.
Christine Nakyejjwe who contested for Masaka City Woman MP position on the NRM ticket has however cautioned the party leadership against blaming their failure to religious and tribal differences, arguing that such accusations may instead impair their long-relationships with some groups of people that may feel blackmailed.
“We need to be sensitive while dealing with issues of sectarianism because they may instead affect our future pursuits. We have been working with groups of people regardless of their tribal and religious inclinations, our focus should be on improving people social welfare as a way of attracting people on our side other than focusing on non-issues,” she noted.
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Peter Ssenkungu, the Masaka district NRM chairperson, also patron of party chairpersons in the nine districts of greater Masaka sub-region reveals that their preliminary assessments have pointed to unresolved land disputes and personal characters of arrogance and intrigue as some of the factors that contributed to the loss of many candidates in the race.
He has challenged the party’s top leadership not to treat the assessment as a formality but ensure that the issues raised are conclusively addressed if they are to regain public appeal.
