By KT Reporter
The National Unity Platform-NUP, the largest opposition political party, has finally agreed to join the Interparty Organization for Dialogue-IPOD to benefit from political party funding.
A letter by NUP Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya said the party was ready to sign the memorandum of understanding, which would make them members of IPOD.
According to the amendments that were made to the Political Party and Other Organization Act in May this year, only parties that are members of IPOD can benefit from government political party funding.
The amendments were brought by the woman MP for Napak District, Faith Nakut to the Political Parties and Organisations Amendment Act 2005.
The MPs, while passing the amendment, noted that conditional funding will foster dialogue among political parties, especially those with representation in parliament.
Political parties have an obligation to adhere to and promote tolerance, peaceful co-existence, and democratic principles between and among different political parties, organisations, and their members as provided in the Code of Conduct for political parties.
Parliament’s Legal Committee agreed that conditioning the receipt of funds provided by the Government under section 14 would make political parties adhere to the requirements of the Political Parties and Organisations Act.
“When political parties commit to these principles, it reduces the likelihood of conflicts, violence, or divisive politics, fostering a more stable and peaceful society,” MPS noted.
After the amendment passed, NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and other senior party members strongly opposed the changes, stating they targeted NUP.
Kyagulanyi declared that they would not join IPOD even if it meant losing party funding. “We shall never join IPOD because it was meant to legitimize Museveni. He wants to take pictures with us and then go around and say he is legitimate because he even sits with his opponents,” Kyagulanyi told Journalists.
Since then, the party maintained that it would never join IPOD. Last month, NUP sued the Attorney General, arguing the amendments were illegal due to a lack of stakeholder consultation.
NUP also queried the move to implement the law without first issuing regulations that were key to its implementation.
Two weeks ago, NUP stunned political observers when it protested being left out of the IPOD summit that was held at Kololo Independence Grounds, chaired by President Yoweri Museveni of the NRM, who was the chair of the summit.
In a letter to the Electoral Commission, Rubongoya protested “the illegal exclusion of the National Unity Platform from discussions relating to the National Consultative Forum and its constitutive organs, including the Interparty Organisation for Dialogue.”
Rubongoya also said that, although they protested the spirit and manner in which the amendment was passed, they nonetheless recognize that it is the current and binding law until it is overturned by a court.
“Despite the above-referenced letters through which we protested the exclusion of the National Unity Platform in all discussions related to the implementation of the amended law and requested all information related to the same, we have received no response whatsoever from the stated offices…We therefore request the Electoral Commission, being the custodian of political parties in Uganda, to ensure that all discussions related to the amended law are inclusive and are conducted in accordance with the law,” Rubongoya’s letter reads in part.
It is not yet known whether the Electoral Commission responded to that letter or not. However, last week on Thursday, the Electoral Commission disbursed over UGX9.8billion to six political parties, excluding NUP.
The six parties that got money last week were: the National Resistance Movement, the Forum for Democratic Change, the Justice Forum, the People’s Progressive Party, the Democratic Party, and the Uganda People’s Congress. UGX1.4billion that would have been for the NUP remained in the custody of the Electoral Commission.
In reaction to this development, NUP indicated that it was ready to sign the Memorandum of Understanding, which would then allow it to receive its money.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the IPOD Council, Rubongoya said NUP has been and remains an active member of the National Consultative Forum of which IPOD is a constituent branch.
“Although the National Unity Platform is currently challenging the referenced amendment before the Constitutional Court, we are cognizant that it is the current and binding law. In light of this, the National Unity Platform would like to sign the MOU, given that we are members of the applicable constitutive organ of the National Consultative Forum by law as we await the decision of the Constitutional Court.” Rubongoya’s letter reads in part.
The turning point for NUP came when the practical realities of politics, especially financial requirements and exclusion from recent party funding distributions, prompted a reassessment of their earlier stance against joining IPOD. The party has, for the last four financial years, been receiving UGX 5.6billion every financial year, which has been at the center of running party activities.
It was the same money that was used to purchase the party headquarters at Makerere Kavule in Kampala. It was also part of the money used in constructing the regional headquarters in Iganga in Eastern Uganda and in Mbarara in Western Uganda.
Also, the decision to swallow a humble pie comes at a particularly perilous time when the party is again challenging President Museveni for the presidency.
Money is needed in plenty to be able to run a viable campaign.
Although the party had launched a nationwide fundraising campaign and indeed some money was collected, especially from prospective party flagbearers, those sources dried up as soon as the party gave out tickets.
NUP also used to receive substantial funding from Ugandans living in the diaspora. However, even that funding has significantly reduced owing to an increase in government scrutiny of such funding.
A government official with knowledge of the subject told Uganda Radio Network that there is an effort to tighten any external funding to NUP.
“It’s now almost impossible for them to receive any substantial amounts from outside. A couple of people have had their accounts frozen, and some Ugandans who have sent money to NUP have been arrested when they returned to the country.
Of course, many of these cases never find themselves in the media because each of the parties has an interest in having these matters worked out privately,” an official with first-hand knowledge told URN. He was granted anonymity to speak freely on the thorny subject.
Away from the government’s tightening of the noose, it’s also true that many Ugandans who used to contribute handsomely to NUP funding have had deflated hope in the party. Some had highly hoped that Kyagulanyi was, in fact, going to be able to remove President Museveni.
However, as time went on, it became increasingly clear to them that their expectations were overblown. With those sources drying up, the party was left with only the monthly contribution of UGX1million from its members of parliament.
Even with these, not all the 57 MPs have been contributing. Brought together, NUP had to swallow its pride and crawl back to IPOD.
Meanwhile, NUP still insists that there has been no about-face at all. Rubongoya said that the moment the law was changed, they automatically became members of IPOD.
Until their matter is decided in court, they will abide by the prevailing law.
“Definitely, our position on IPOD changed the moment the amendments were passed. We disagree with those amendments, and we have challenged the implementation of the law before the regulations are brought in. We have said that even in parliament,” Rubongoya said.
What’s left is to see how the IPOD Council, which is made up of the party’s Secretaries General, responds. Council Secretary Dr Lawrence Sserwambala said in the coming days, the Council will sit and deliberate on whether to admit NUP or not. Sserwambala, however, couldn’t say exactly when this is going to happen.
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