KAMPALA – Democratic Party (DP) President General Norbert Mao has accused the party Parliamentary Caucus of playing politics in their demand accountability of the party funds.
DP Parliamentary Caucus members, including Joseph Gonsanga Sewungu (Kalungu West) and Medard Segona (Busiro East) early this month held a press conference and asked the Inspectorate Of Government to carry out investigations on the use of funds for unexplained activities within the party. The MPs claimed the party receives 370 million shillings from the Electoral Commission but wonders how the party leadership failed to make provisions for cards and village registers to implement the party roadmap.
But on Thursday, February 20, 2020, Mr Mao said the party accounts are regularly audited in coordination with a finance committee and the party accountant.
“We believe that MPs are merely playing politics. Their demands for accountability was fully addressed. The National Treasurer is the principal signatory to all party accounts. And she sits in parliament! DP has a Finance Committee which is also in charge of procurement,” he said.
“We have a full time accountant. The party accounts are regularly audited. So the demands for accountability by the MPs is only of nuisance value. During the last National Council Meeting, the National Treasurer invited all interested leaders to come to party headquarters to inspect books of account including bank statements. That invitation still stands,” he added.
On the question of political accountability, the DP President General said they take decisions through the organs of the party.
“Accountability has to be mutual and across the board. We all have to be accountable. Unfortunately, the press conference was top heavy with those who have perennially undermined the party and its leadership. They now claim to care for the party because we who have been at the helm and who never abandoned it have rebuilt it and given it value. Many of them thought they were indispensable. Fortunately the party has moved on and become stronger in spite of their efforts to kill it. The current leadership of the party have revived the party brand,” he said.
On the venue of the next National Delegates Conference, Mr Mao said decision was taken transparently by the appropriate organ.
“The suggestion that the last Delegates Conference had agreed on Mbarara is totally false and baseless. The only meeting which was scheduled for Mbarara was the National Council. That was however later changed,” he said.
“We urge the MPs to desist from promoting violence and hooliganism in the party and threatening the life of party leaders. We also urge them to stop the baseless smear campaign against party leaders. We welcome the proposal for continuous dialogue to deal with conflicts in the party. We are committed to principled dialogue. We also recognize the right of the MPs to disagree with the party leaders but disobedience will attract disciplinary measures. We can accept disagreements. We will not tolerate disobedience, indiscipline and blackmail.”
The country’s oldest political party has been engaged in bickering, which observers has dented its image and chances of taking power.
