DP SEEKS SHS6B FOR 2011 POLLS

The Democratic Party [DP] is short of Sh6 billion for the coming general election campaigns, the party treasurer Hon Isa Kikungwe said Wednesday.
Addressing journalists in Kampala, Mr Kikungwe said the party has at-least raised Sh 3 billion in cash and property obtained to gear up local council, parliamentary and presidential campaigns.“We have already obtained some money amounting to Sh3billion in cash and assets, we expect more support from local, foreign party supporters and international democratic organisations,” Mr Kikungwe said in Kampala.
He said the party has already obtained a special presidential motorcade for the campaign trail, a printing press to print posters for local council and parliamentary candidates, a well equipped mobile truck with public address system to work as a mobile stage during the campaigns.
Meanwhile, DP has launched a fundraising exercise across the country to collect more funds through sale of party cards and soliciting funds from prominent business men. The party has also sent DP legal advisor Mr Fred Mukasa Mbidde to China, Singapore and Russia to solicit support ahead of the general elections starting in November.
Mr Mukasa who left the country on Monday is expected to meet the business fraternity, politicians and non government organisation willing to sponsor DP campaigns.
“I expect to meet several politicians to seek for both political ideas and financial support. We also want to find out how political parties can stabilise their income through investing in different ventures,” Mr Mukasa said.
“We need at-least five campaign trucks each at Sh100 million. We intend to spend Sh9 billion in next year’s presidential race so we need more funds,” Mr Kikungwe also the MP Kyadondo South said.
He urged the party members to support the fundraising drive saying the new party leadership is set to change the face of DP and take Ugandan politics to another level. According to Kikungwe, the obtained trucks have several modern features including cameras, public address system, inbuilt stage, dressing room among others.
The Party Deputy Organising Secretary Mr Sulaiman Kidandala said more party officials are expected to traverse America and Europe on the same mission.
Last month DP National Council [NC] flatly rejected demands by opposition parties to join the Inter -Party Co-operation [IPC] saying a single opposition candidate against an incumbent can easily be defeated.
DP National Chairman Mr Baswale Kezaala said the NC retained earlier decision by the National Executive Committee [NEC] that DP works with IPC at parliamentary and local council elections. NC believes the strategy will help to acquire more opposition allies but it’s not applicable at the presidential level.
Recently, DP President Mr Norbert Mao described the Inter -Party Co-operation [IPC] as a political platform only intended to benefit Forum for Democratic Change as a party. He said IPC is a diversionary strategy that only helps FDC to widen its political base at the expense of other political parties.
The IPC is a loose coalition of five opposition political parties planning to field a single presidential candidate next year. The group comprising of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda People's Congress (UPC), the Conservative Party, Social Democratic Party and JEEM.