The Democratic Party (DP) MPs are set to petition the Court challenging the Controversial Cooperation Agreement which was signed between DP and the ruling party, National Resistance Movement (NRM). The agreement was signed by the National Chairman of NRM President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the President General of DP Norbert Mao.
Following the signing of the agreement on July 20, 2022, President Yoweri Museveni appointed Norbert Mao the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
According to the petitioners, the agreement will injure the execution of their duties in terms of voting on committee reports, bills, and other activities at parliament. They also said that Mao didn’t follow party procedures which include consulting the national council, and the delegate’s conference and therefore, they want the agreement declared null and void.
“We need court redress. Mao said that he showed us (DP MPs) the document on his phone. Could you believe a document of that magnitude? You can’t read it on his phone. If he wanted us to read it, he would have sent it to our phones. Why is he saying that we read on his phone? It is a funny kind of argument,” Mityana County South MP Lumu Richard Kizito said.
“I don’t support that agreement. I don’t know the real contents of that agreement. I am a lawyer; a lawyer reads and understands the document. We didn’t participate in the drafting of the agreement nor append our signatures,” Lumu said.
He said MPs are not an organ of the party but members of the national council. If Mao needed to consult, MPs and other individuals who contested on the DP tickets would have been there. We are not lamenting or against him but what he did could wipe out the party.
The DP members petitioned Secretary General Dr. Gerald Siranda and the Electoral Commission asking to be furnished with the comprehensive cooperation agreement which was signed by Norbert Mao and the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
“I learned in the media that Norbert Mao and Gen. Yoweri Museveni executed a cooperation agreement purportedly between DP and NRM on July 20, 2022. Later on July 25, 2022, I was invited by concerned members of the National Council of DP, they wanted to find out whether I had a copy of the agreement so that I could share and explain the contents of agreement. I, therefore, beseech your good office to avail us with the copy of the purported agreement,” reads in part signed by National Legal Advisor Luyimbazi Nalukoola.
“We are waiting for the copy of the agreement. When we get it, the petition will hopefully be filed next week,” Lumu said.
Following the signing and his subsequent appointment as justice minister, Moa applauded the Management Committee of DP for keeping his talks with President Yoweri Museveni a top secret.
“I want to assure you that I briefed the Management Committee, and I am proud of the committee that nothing leaked for one full year. I am very proud of the Democratic Party Management Committee. It has 11 members, and I chair the committee as the President. The organ meets every Wednesday.” Mao said during a press briefing at City House.
COOPERATION AGREEMENT
According to the agreement, Mao will coordinate the National Dialogue and the whole of the government’s response to Constitutional Reforms with the mandate to coordinate Budget proposals in the Justice Law and Order Sector.
The agreement indicates that a Democratic leader will be appointed to a junior ministerial position; the leadership of both parties will meet every three months to monitor progress against the areas of cooperation set out in the agreement.
NRM will support the election of the DP candidate to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), DP will propose up to four individuals for appointment to departments, statutory bodies, and government agencies.
The ruling Party will also support the nomination of a DP Member of Parliament to be the Chair of a Standing Committee, as well as a DP MP in the role of Deputy Chair of an additional Committee.
DP NATIONAL LEGAL ADVISOR WEIGHS IN
Nalukoola said the cooperation agreement is alien, it is strange. Politically, it is not sustainable. This is a sham that is why Mao never consulted. It would have generated a big debate in the party. The cooperation agreement was determined by the Management Committee whose quorum has four members. Can you imagine a national issue was determined by four people?”
According to the constitution of DP, Nalukoola said the Management Committee is not an organ of the party but the National Executive Committee and the National Council and therefore the decision was made on a personal basis, not by the party.
“The National Council which is made of the National Executive Committee, the parliamentary group, District chairpersons, and the delegates’ conference would have been consulted before taking that decision. If Mao had consulted all these organs, there is no way we the members of DP would have disassociated ourselves from that agreement.”
“My office had to participate in brainstorming the contents of that agreement which didn’t happen. Procedurally it was wrong; constitutionally it contradicts with the party constitution.”
Nalukoola said President Mao can as well be impeached through the national council when a third of the members petition the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General can then convene the council within 14 days.
“It is good that the members petition court after exhausting all avenues. If council members petition the Secretary-General and he doesn’t respond, then members can petition the court seeking an order to convene the council. Court will determine who convenes it, when, and where,” he said.
