Omara Atubo: Mao was not transparent 

Some people are saying Norbert Mao did the wrong thing.

By Our Reporter

Lira – July 13, 2022: The DP-NRM cooperation agreement continues to register divergent views. There are those happy with the agreement and at the same time, people are saying Norbert Mao did the wrong thing.

Since Wednesday and Thursday – the latter day when he was appointed as justice minister by President Museveni, the Democratic Party [DP] leader has told those criticizing his move to work with the NRM to back off.

 Specifically, he said, “we won’t apologize.”

 The former MP and district LC5 chairman is happy to work with Museveni and has vowed to deliver “free and fair elections” in addition to offering a “smooth transition”.

 Mao was vetted and approved on Friday by the Parliamentary Appointments Committee chaired by Speaker Anita Among. He will take over from acting Minister Muruli Mukasa who was appointed in January 2020.

 Following Mao’s decision to ferry some of the DP members to the yellow bus, some are bashing him. It is not the first time DP has had to cross to the ruling party.

 Dr. Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere was the minister of internal affairs up to 1988; second deputy prime minister and minister of foreign and regional affairs from 1988 to 1994.

 He was again appointed Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Service from 1994 to 1995.

 The above brief history tells us it’s not new with DP, and Mao won’t be the last party leader to cross from green to any color in the future.

Sharing his opinion Saturday, Daniel Omara Atubo – former Lands Minister in the NRM government said: “Yes, Ssemogere and many other DP leaders served in Museveni’s government between 1986 and 1995 which was a ‘movement system or no party system or the government of national unity”.

“That unwritten cooperation ended with the 1995 Constitution which brought a new constitutional order. Ssemogere resigned and contested for Presidency against Museveni,” former MP added.

 Atubo who served as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1987 until 1991 was first elected to parliament in 1987. “Uganda now is under constitutional multiparty democracy with very clear laws on how political parties should conduct business,” he noted.

 “What Mao did should have been done with the prior support and approval of his party organs. Mao was not transparent,” Atubo added.