When Democratic Party (DP) National Executive Committee (NEC) convened on November 1 and was making its ruling on the validity of the July 14 DP youth elections, DP President General John Ssebaana Kizito was silent.

DP legal advisor Mr Erias Lukwago, Ms Betty Nambooze, the party publicist and Mr Jude Mbabali, a UYD founder struggled, but fruitlessly, to convince NEC members, some of who are renowned lawyers, that the elections were invalid. NEC quashed the petition and confirmed leadership of Makerere University Guild President, Ms Susan Abbo as DP youth leader.

The Acting Secretary General Dr Lulume Bayigga told Inside Politics that NEC was just reaffirming the validity of the youth elections. But no Sooner had NEC pronounced itself on the matter than Mr Ssebaana emerged in to show his side.

He sacked a long serving DP administrator, Mr Bonney Kasujja and Dr Bayigga. The two officials have been seen by UYD and their allies from mainstream DP as impediments to old UYD's stay in power.

Mr Ssebaana is in a situation where he has to make a choice: whether to eat his cake or have it. He has to either accept democracy to thrive in the party even when weaklings and the poor are elected or stand by the old UYD he groomed and who have been supportive of him for long. The latter could be disastrous to the party's democratic image.

Most UYD leaders, though aged, are cash-loaded and are vying for bigger political posts but unwilling to relinquish power. Mr Ssebaana fanned the feud by replacing Mr Kasujja with Mr Mbabali, one of the petitioners against the new youth leadership, as DP administrator. Mr Ssebaana, however, declined to comment on the sacking of the officials and the power struggle within youth wing.

"We don't discuss administrative issues in a press conference. We as a party are just taking administrative steps," he said. "You aren't supposed to get information on administrative issues."

But Dr Bayigga described Mr Ssebaana's letter as redundant and he added that he is still the DP's acting secretary general.

"Ssebaana's letter is redundant because article 30 of DP Constitution is very clear. It says that in the absence of the Secretary General, the deputy will be the acting Secretary General. So it doesn't need any more pronouncements," Dr Bayiga said. He said he is acting in the absence of Prof. Abilu Otto who is currently in America. Both affected officials have threatened to drag Mr Ssebaana to National Council.

However, Dr Bayigga is helpless. He needs UYD and Mr Ssebaana morally and financially in the pending Buikwe South by-elections. Rifts between UYD and some mainstream party members are scuttling the party.

Many party stalwarts including the NEC chairman Prof. Mukiibi have protested the administrative changes. Some party members still wonder how Mr Ssebaana, a president of a party with a motto "Truth and justices" could side with "renegades" who regard themselves as affiliates rather than an organ of DP.

Old UYD Vice President Mr Fred Mbidde described NEC decisions, especially on youth elections, as works of "mad people".

"The youth elections were organised by mad men. UYD has never changed leadership. There are guidelines for electing UYD leaders [because] it is an autonomous body from the main party," Mr Mbidde said.

"[Ms] Abbo is my child. I can't quarrel with my children I groomed in politics, but [Dr] Bayigga and [Prof.] Mukiibi are killing my children," he said.

When contacted, DP Organising Secretary Mr Deo Nyoki said the new youth leadership led by Ms Abbo is the genuine one.

"It is very difficult to find a council of elders voting the youth. Special organs like [persons with] disabilities vote leaders among themselves," Mr Nyoki said.

One of UYD founders who pushed for elections of a new youth leadership predicts power struggles in the near future.

He said allowing UYD, a group he regarded as illegal, to impose itself on the administration of the party could cause enormous damage on the party's credibility.

"UYDs objectives are very different from those DP and different from [Mr] Ssebaana's ideals," he said.

"You will see bloody fights in the future." So far, a five-page petition by Ms Nambooze, a NEC member, Mbabali and Mr Lukwago, has demanded that Mr Ssebaana consider views that the National Council be convened urgently (Not later than November 30) to deliberate the party administration. The letter accuses Dr Bayiga that he moved behind the scenes to cause youth elections to be 'ratified' by NEC at all costs.

"You will note that we are behind schedule on all those programmes as per our 2006/7 strategy plan. The mandate of the National Council is to conduct elections to fill vacancies but not to ratify or confirm elections carried out in illegal fora," the petition read in part. As if that is not enough, UYD is fronting Gulu District chairman Mr Norbert Mao for the DP President.