Beti Kamya
8 September 2008
opinion
I had promised my uncle Mr Yona Kanyomozi and other people I respect like Mr Richard Kaijuka, Mr Amanya Mushega, Mzee Makaira, Ms Joyce Sebugwawo and Dr Muiini Mulera that I would not further fuel the controversy surrounding my resignation from the office of Special Envoy in the FDC President's Office but my friend Mr Onyango Obbo and MP Alice Alaso's respective opinions, published in Daily Monitor of August 21 suggesting that am a "mad woman" and "must learn to lose gracefully", leave me no choice.
I hold Ms Alaso in high esteem. She is a skilful, articulate legislator, consciencious, and hard working but during the November 5 National Delegates Conference (NDC), a few minutes to the elections, the FDC virgin Constitution was amended to make it possible for her to contest for the position of secretary general (SG), a fact she does not dispute, only attempts to justify.
Many of us had participated in formulating the FDC Constitution and were happy with the draft to be presented to the delegates for adoption. Article 24(3) of the draft constitution stipulated that "the office of the SG shall be on a fulltime basis and he/she shall not hold any other office". While Article 19(13)(a) stipulated that FDC would have 2 Deputy Presidents among other members of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
A few days to the NDC, an influential member in FDC asked me which position I planned to contest for and I answered "Deputy President". He told me that I couldn't have it because "we have already given it to ... " (gave a name).
I reminded him that there were two positions but he mentioned another name whom "we" had designated for the second deputy president. I said I would just keep my position of publicity and spokesperson, which I had held during the interim period.
He said it was not available because "we" thought... (gave a name) was more experienced than you, so he would fill it. I said fine, I'll settle for the Diplomatic Affairs portfolio but he said sorry, ... (name) was going to hold that position. At that time, I burst out "who is 'we' and where/when do they sit and who gave them the mandate todecide for the party?". If anybody wants to know who the influential person is, for verification, I will be happy to provide the name in confidence.
On the second day of the NDC, elections, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. had not started by 12.45 p.m., delegates were getting impatient and there was no 'senior' person in sight, so I went looking for them, to find out what was going on. I found most of the people that now occupy the top 15 positions in FDC, in a closed meeting, to which I had not been invited, allocating themselves positions.
My name did not appear anywhere. When I saw MPs Alaso, Kasiano Wadri and Augustine Ruzindana - all listed for SG and Deputy SG respectively, I knew that they were not eligible under Article 24(3), so I declared to the closed meeting' to which I had invited myself, that I would contest for the position of SG.
They all tried to dissuade me on grounds that we needed to reach out to the east and north in a special way, because the two regions were potential vote baskets (whereas Buganda was seen as not), hence the Buganda issue during elections of SG. This is when they decided to amend the Constitution to accommodate the three MPs. The argument that the Constitution was amended because FDC did not have funds to pay the salary of a full-time SG did not arise then. Besides, wouldn't a party without an MP have a SG?
For some curious reason, in the constitutional amendment to be tabled before the NDC later this year, Article 24(3) is being returned as Article 23(3), stipulating that the position of SG will be full time and holders of other offices will no longer be eligible to hold it, although, we appointed Ms Alaso to the coveted position of Parliamentary Commissioner in order that the benefits that go with that position may support the office of SG.
The FDC leadership might want to tell us whether they now have resources to pay the salary of a SG and two deputies! I would not have had a problem with the past if FDC leaders did not, once again, after the death of Dr Kigundu, manipulate the Constitution to serve unclear interests - which will be the subject of my next article.
Ms Kamya is MP Rubaga North
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