Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao has repeated his controversial description of Parliament’s leadership, insisting that Anita Annet Among is an accidental Speaker and challenged critics to reflect on the circumstances that led to her rise.
Speaking at the Democratic Party (DP) headquarters on Balintuma Road, Mao defended his remarks, saying they have been widely misunderstood and taken out of context.
“When I said we have an accidental speaker, I saw a lot of rage. But the answer is in the dictionary. If you open a dictionary, ‘accidental’ means ‘unplanned, unintended’ unless they are saying there was an intention and there was a plan,” Mao said.
He added, “So, was there a plan that the late speaker should die? Was that an intention?”
Mao linked his argument to the death of former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, whose passing in 2022 created a vacancy that eventually ushered Among into the top parliamentary seat.
“Unfortunately, we lost Jacob Oulanyah, so we got an accidental Speaker. It was not supposed to be that way,” he said.
The Laroo-Pece MP-elect emphasized that his decision to join the speakership race stems from dissatisfaction with the current leadership, saying he does not feel adequately represented.
He maintained that his comments are not personal attacks but rather a reflection of how the current leadership emerged.
“Some people have chosen to misunderstand it,” Mao said.
He added that the next Speaker should come in through a deliberate and competitive process rather than circumstance.
Mao, who is also president general of the Democratic Party, expressed confidence in his bid for the position in the 12th Parliament.
“We are going to take over that House in the name of the people,” he said.
He also pushed back against critics questioning DP’s political positioning, especially in light of its cooperation agreement with the ruling establishment.
“Now is opposition. And remember, they are the ones who have been saying that they married DP. So you married DP, but now that the position of Speaker is at stake, you say DP is opposition,” Mao said.
“They are saying we do not know anything about it, but that is a public document… because the position of Speaker is at stake, there is now denial,” he added.
Mao further hinted at a broader strategy in the unfolding race.
“Not all my cards are facing up. Many of my cards are facing down, and nobody knows them,” he said.
His remarks come amid an intensifying contest for the Speakership of Parliament, where he is positioning himself as a challenger to Among.
However, Among, the Bukedea District Woman MP rejected the accidental Speaker label and maintained that her election by over 400 Members of Parliament affirms her legitimacy.
