DP Secretary General Gerald Siranda denies that Norbert Mao was endorsed to contest for the Loro-Pece Parliamentary seat in Gulu City.
In an interview, Siranda said that while there are rumors of Mao’s intention to contest in Pece-Laroo Division Constituency, he insists the party has not received his application seeking the endorsement by DP.
Siranda explained that the party’s constitution requires that an aspirant who wishes to contest under the DP ticket must formally apply.He explained that he hadn’t received the expression of interest from Norbert Mao, who is also the Justice and Constitutional by early Friday (October 18). Mao is the President General of DP. It had been anticipated that he would contest for the Presidency in 2026 as the party’s candidate. He is instead campaigning for Museveni under whose government he serves as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
“When you want to run for any position in the party, you apply, and as far as I know, I have not seen any application from Mao. I have been away and haven’t been in the office unless it came in when I was in Arusha,” said Siranda.While the party says it is now aware of Norbert Mao’s intention to contest for the Pece-Laroo Division Constituency parliamentary seat, his campaign posters have been sighted in parts of Gulu City.
It has taken some by surprise, yet it had been understood that Simon Opoka, the DP National Vice Chairperson, is vying for the same seat as the DP candidate.Sirand admitted that Opoka’s application was received by the party expressing interest in contesting for the Laroo-Pece Division parliamentary seat, but it is yet to be endorsed.
He, however, alleged that rumors have been circulating about Opoka seeking to get nominated under the Uganda People’s Congress Party (UPC) ticket for the Laroo-Pece Division Constituency. Uganda Radio Radio Network couldn’t independently verify this claim by press time.
“…You should have known that he has also expressed interest in running on the UPC ticket. So I am waiting to see if his nomination papers will be brought back for endorsement…” Siranda told Uganda Radio Network.
Siranda noted that, as the DP party, they are banking on a winnable candidate for parliamentary seats in all constituencies across the country since Mao is no longer running for the Presidency. He added that any DP candidate who applies now for a parliamentary seat and has the potential and support of voters will be supported by the party.
“…So any candidate who applies and is votable and is viable, he as an individual is supposed to be a candidate because I want to raise numbers in the House,” said Siranda.
While Siranda didn’t admit the DP is fronting Mao for the Laroo-Pece division Constituency parliamentary seat, he said a candidate’s expression of interest to contest should be backed by their ability to convince voters, engage them, and win.
Double standards in DP
Opoka, a loyal member of the DP, however, in an interview with Uganda Radio Network, accused the party of double standard, citing that while he met all the requirements to contest for the Laroo-Pece constituency parliamentary seat, only his expression of interest application hasn’t been endorsed.
“So far, what I know I applied, met all the requirements of the party of the DP with respect to qualifying to be sponsored, and where you have more than one candidate, none is supposed to accept and go for the primary election or selection or dictate of their respective rules and regulations,” He said.
Adding “To the best of my knowledge, I’m the only one that applied from the DP for the Laroo-Pece constituency sponsorship, which many people call becoming a flag bearer,”
Opoka wonders why his nomination form from his party hasn’t been returned despite allegedly getting endorsements from Mao as the DP President General on his grassroots consultations.
“For whatever reason, my form is not getting out. The party President endorsed my initial grassroots consultation not once, not twice, but several times. I have briefed him on my campaign updates, but for some reason, the Democratic Party under his leadership has withheld my application and expressions of interest,” said Opoka.
He denied allegations that he had already crossed to the UPC party to secure a ticket to contest against Mao; in any case, the party endorses him.
Besides Opoka, the DP already has Lyandro Komakech, the former Gulu Municipality Legislator, who is now vying for the Bardege-Layibi Division Constituency. Laynadro Komakech served for a term in the tenth parliament (2016-2021) under the DP ticket in the then Gulu Municipality.
In the Aswa County in Gulu District, Patrick Okello Onguti, according to DP Party officials, is the sole party flag bearer, while Obol Justine Simpleman, who doubles as the Party’s Coordinator for the Acholi Sub-region, is the flag bearer for the LCV Chairperson seat in Gulu district. Meanwhile, in Omoro and Nwoya district, Peter Okot, the incumbent Tochi County Legislator, also the DP Northern Regional Coordinator, and incumbent Nwoya East MP Geoffrey Charles Okello are holding the party’s flag.
The Kampala Report, by press time, was unable to get comments from Mao, who has unsuccessfully contested for the country’s presidency thrice under the DP ticket before signing a cooperation agreement with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party.
The DP coordinator for the Acholi Sub-region, Justine Simple Man Obol, however, noted that the party hadn’t yet disclosed to his office the substantial candidate for the Pece-Laroo Division Constituency parliamentary seat.
Obol said that while vetting for the lower local government aspirants is done regionally by the respective district DP chairpersons, Parliamentary positions are conducted by the party’s National Councils, to which they have yet to get a substantial candidate for the Pece-Laroo Division. Constituency. This isn’t the first time Mao is making a comeback to contest in Gulu, years after serving as the Gulu Municipality Legislator for two terms from 1996 to 2006 and later as the LCV Chairperson for Gulu District from 2006 to 2011.
In December 2015, the Electoral Commission declined to nominate Mao, who had expressed interest in contesting for the Gulu Municipality Parliamentary seat after his name wasn’t found on the national voters register.
If endorsed by his party and nominated by the Electoral Commission, come October 22 by the Electoral Commission, Mao will face off with the incumbent Pece-Laroo Division Legislator Rev Fr Charles Onen, who is seeking a second term on an independent ticket (NRM leaning).
Other notable contestants are National Unity Platform (NUP) Caesar Lubangakene and NRM’s Tony Kitara.
