NRM explores option of consensus to elect Oyam North flag bearer
By Bonny Otim Ogwal(bonny.otim@vol.co.ug)
Oyam
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)party electoral commission chief Dr Tanga Odoi has said the party is exploring the option of building consensus amongst the aspirants who have expressed interest to identify one candidate to become the party’s flag bearer in the upcoming Oyam North by-elections.
At the close of expression of interest on Monday by 5PM, a total of 10 aspirants had expressed interest for the much desired lucrative job. They include Queen Dorothy Amolo, Ugandan born-American based investor, Samuel Engola Okello, the son to the deceased MP Col (rtd) Charles Patrick Okello Engola Macodwogo, Willy Omodo Omodo former NRM vice chairperson for Entrepreneurs league, former Uganda’s envoy to Pretoria and UK Amb Julius Peter Moto, Augustine Obangakene, Billie Otoo Nelson, Alfred Okello Obaro, Adonyo Tonny, Alinaitwe Henry.
According to Dr Tanga Odoi, the party values building consensus amongst aspirants in by elections because it does not only save time but also saves the party from too much division that the hotly contested primaries would have brought.
Speaking to Voice of Lango FM in an interview Monday evening from Kyankwanzi where the party is holding retreat for her MPs, Odoi says if the candidates fail to agree amongst themselves to pick one person; the party will consider organizing an expanded constituency conference of not less that 1000 people or organizing primary election where the general conference will decide on who should be the party’s flag bearer.
To do this, the NRM Electoral commission boss says the secretariat intends to organize a meeting with all the 10 aspirants, who have expressed their interest, look at their credentials, ascertain their strength, and look at possibility if they can choose one candidate for this short time and that in the unlikely event, they shall go to the district constituency conference or general conference for the primaries.
“There are two ways of NRM of carrying out primaries, but we always value consensus in regard to by elections because it is does not save time but also save us the issue of too much division that primaries would actually bring it, when we do it the candidate that is chosen by the general conference becomes the flag bearer” says Odoi.
The formers Makerere University don added that the party will not impose any person on the people as the flag bearer because they want the decision to come from the people.
“There is no one who is candidate so far, they are all aspirants, we are going to endorse them when we meet them and look at their papers there is no one we shall impose on people, it is actually to come from them and the people” charged Odoi.
Odoi says, by close of this week, the party will have released a full scale road after meeting with the secretary general and the top brass of the party.
“The full scale road map will be released after the party secretariat meeting with the Secretary general, and then come up as one team that this is what we want to do, by close of the week we shall have released our detailed plan”
