5 Dokolo woman MP aspirants reject proposal to step down for NRM flag bearer
By Daniel Ongoda (editorial@vol.co.ug)
Dokolo.
Five Dokolo Woman Member of Parliament hopefuls have vehemently rejected a proposal by the top brass of the National Resistance Movement(NRM) party to step down in favor of the party flag bearer Janet Adongo Elau.
Adongo Elau held the flag of NRM party in the 2021 general elections where she was the first runner up after the fallen former fire brand legislator Atim Ogwal Cecilia Babara.
On Saturday the top leadership of the party led by the director of mobilization Rosemary Seninde and Communications Director Emmanuel Dombo convened a meeting for all NRM leaning aspirants and party structures at Dokolo Catholic Parish hall with a view of persuading the aspirants to step down for the party flag bearer just like other aspirants did in Oyam North for Samuel Engola Okello.
The meeting which lasted for nearly five hours bared little fruits with two aspirants including Lillian Auma Okullu and Judith Ayugi stepping down while the other five stacked to their guns and rejected the proposal to step down.
According to the five aspirants, the current flag bearer Anna Adongo Elau is too weak to carry the flag of the party at this time, saying she lost twice to the former UPC iron lady and that fielding her now will tantamount to a political miscarriage for the revolutionary party.
But Adongo in her rebuttal says, she was elected as the party flag bearer for the party for five years and that she is the most suitable candidate for the party having been tested for the last five years.
The five aspirants include; Irene Amongi Ajwika an economist with vast experience in development economics and public policy, Dr Anna Grace Lalalm, Arao Rebbeca district female workers representative, Beatrice Abang Molly Kia the current NRM party boss for Dokolo district and Dr Esther Otada.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Irene Ajwika says she could not make any pronouncement without seeking opinion of the people of Dokolo who requested her contest.
Dr Anna Grace Lalam, on her side said, the fallen former legislator was a unifying figure and that she comes in handy to fill in that gap.
Rebecca Arao, says her aim is bring all people together under one umbrella of development.
The NRM flag bearer Janet Adongo Elau asked all aspirants to desist from politics of witch-hunt and rather play development oriented politics.
In her speech Rose Mary Seninde, the director mobilization at the NRM secretariat says the party will not organize any primaries to choose the flag bearer because the party already has a candidate who will hold her flag in the 21st march by-election.
The NRM communications director Emmanuel Dombo says they will convene a district delegate’s conference meeting on the 21st of February 2024 at Dokolo Technical School to prepare for the by-elections.
According to Dombo, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who is also the NRM party chairman had sent them to come and talk to the aspirants so that they unite and work with the current flag bearer to prevent disintegration of party structures.
