Norbert Mao, 44, Democratic Party
NOBERT Mao is a lawyer, an orator and the leader of the Democratic Party (DP).
He was twice the MP for Gulu Municipality between 1996 and 2006 and applauded as an exceptional debater.
Born on March 12, 1967, Mao has branded himself the true candidate for national reconciliation.
He went to Namilyango College before joining Makerere University for a degree in law where he also became the guild president in 1990.
Although he has many good attributes, Mao’s disadvantage is that he has gone into this election leading a divided a party.
After losing to John Ssebaana Kizito during his first attempt to lead DP in 2006, Mao stood for Gulu district chairman and he won.
What he has promised:
Overhaul the education system
Establishing 16 public universities.
Increase agriculture and health budget allocations to 15%.
Massive investment in the reconstruction of war ravaged northern Uganda.
A transparent and citizen-centred oil and gas policy
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
DP'S MAO TO REVIVE AGRICULTURE
DEMOCRATIC Party (DP) presidential candidate Norbert Mao has said he will revive the agricultural sector once voted to power.
Mao was addressing his final rallies in Lubaga and Makindye divisions, where he told his supporters that agriculture was once the backbone of this country, but had been neglected by the current government.
“Every financial year, this government allocates only 8% of the budget to agriculture, which has brought the sector that was once glorious to a stand-still.
"These funds cannot sustain the sector, which feeds a population of more than 30 million people,” Mao said.
He said his government would allocate a minimum of 15% of the country’s budget to reviving the agricultural sector.
Mao added that once the sector is boosted, the country will increase the production of food, which will also be used for export.
“During this government, the country has faced famine, which is a result of insufficient funding for the agricultural sector. This means the country will continue to suffer if nothing is done to boost the sector,” he said.
Mao, who was flanked by his wife Naome, pledged to set up agriculture-based industries throughout the country that will buy produce and make products for the local and export markets.
“Our products would carry great value once they are processed locally instead of exporting raw materials to countries that would use the residue to get more products. If we export finished goods, we will boost our economy,” Mao said.
He promised to subsidise imported agricultural equipment, saying this would encourage Ugandans to practise agriculture.
Mao, who addressed rallies in Nakulabye and Kasubi markets, said he would fight hard to reclaim the electricity distributing company that was sold to foreigners.
“Since the sale of many government-owned companies, our people have suffered with the high prices levied on products. If we bring those companies back, people will get services at fair prices, hence development,” he said.
He promised to reduce electricity and fuel prices if voted into power.
Mao assured his supporters that he would win the elections by 67%, saying he has electorate bases in the Northern region, among the youth, the poor and in his party.
He urged them to vote for DP’s Maxensia Nalubwika in Lubaga North and Joseph Lwanga of Makindye east.
AN INTERVIEW WITH MAO ON ELECTION EVE
Norbert Mao was elected president of the Democratic Party (DP) on Saturday February 20, 2010 and now set to run for president of Uganda in the 2011 general elections. His party (DP) faced a lot of challenges that led to a split and deep polarization at the height of 2011 presidential elections. Mao speaks Luo, Luganda, Runyankole and English fluently.
We’ve just been at Makarere University for the last rally in Kampala, how have you found the campaign trail in this election?
For me it has been very exciting, it’s an opportunity to learn more about the people. It has also given me an opportunity to share with the people some of my thoughts and my plans. It has been an opportunity to mobilize the party. It has been an opportunity to get questions. And also I have had to come face to face with ghosts of the past. In the Luweero Triangle I was asked by someone about the killings by government troops, many of whom were from northern Uganda. So this was an opportunity to help Ugandans to come to terms with the past, and also to rise above it. So the campaign trail has been fantastic.
And how do you feel things have changed politically, particularly in Northern Uganda, since the last election?
Right now the population is more dispersed. People were in IDP camps, and candidates would patrol the camps and find voters. President Museveni has made some concessions about northern Uganda. So the political landscape has changed a little bit. I believe he expects a little more support. But he has not dealt with the substantive issues of national reconciliation; he has not dealt with the reparations, paying war debt. And because the expectations of the people are higher during peace, President Museveni may not actually reap any dividends. We are now called upon to be more substantive, not just denouncing war and conflict and displacement. So in many ways it is not 2006, at least it is not 2001.
The north has a very large young population, as does the rest of the country, and I’ve seen and heard a lot of people referring to you as Obama. How do you feel about that nickname?
I feel flattered to be associated with a great leader like President Barack Obama, but it’s more about my ethnic mix. My mother is from Ankole, where Museveni comes from, and my father is from Acholi, in Northern Uganda. The same way that Obama has been a bridge between black people and white people in America, many people believe that my ethnic mix gives me a better advantage in being a bridge to unite the north and the south, to heal that long divide that we have been having. Obama challenges us to aspire to a greater future and I am also challenging Ugandans by telling them that we can’t do anything about the past, but we can change the future.
One of your talking points is “UB40”, Ugandans Below 40. Do you think that your party has policies that attract young people?
The Democratic Party has the most vibrant youth movement. Our programs for job creation, for support entrepreneurship amongst the young, of supporting education through more funding, providing for student loans and providing scholarships for students to pursue degrees science and technology overseas, and our program for reforming the education system so that students can have real skills instead of just a piece of paper, these ideas are so appealing to the youth. And by being a candidate whose online presence is very strong, young people relate to me. They know that we have a shared past. They don’t share any past with Museveni. They relate to the demand for jobs and better education.
Young people are always known for having more progressive ideas. Uganda has been criticized internationally for its stance on gay rights and apparent toleration of homophobia. What are your thoughts on this issue?
All ideas must progress through time before they are accepted. Uganda is going through the effects of globalization, and while in the West gay people declare themselves openly and have clubs and publish magazines, our society has not yet reached that point. There was a piece of drama named “The Vagina Monologues”, and it was thrown out of Uganda. There was no outcry over that. I supported the women who wanted to show that piece of drama. The prejudice being felt by homosexuals in Uganda has been felt by other societies. I believe that homosexuals are human beings and that they are entitled to their human rights, but I think the world should understand when we take precautions to protect vulnerable parts of our society. But also I think the world has been unfair to Uganda. There are so many Ugandans who are in jail unfairly, but President Obama has never said a word about them. I think human rights should be like the Ten Commandments. It doesn’t matter which one you break, you go to hell. When I become president I will encourage the western world to understand why this is a sensitive debate.
It should be noted that the bill, which called for the death penalty for certain homosexual behavior, resulted partly from a tour by some evangelical ministers from the US.
Well this cuts both ways. I am a sinner, and am taught to hate the sin but love the sinner, and I think we have no right to judge. People should accept the culture shock, but also we must take precautions against the manipulations by those who are sitting on moral high horses. People will exploit [the gay rights movement], but I think that Uganda is big enough to accommodate people of all sexual orientations, because we cannot have a moral police going round putting cameras in people’s bedrooms. There would be many things going on.
What are the most important changes you think Uganda needs with its next government?
Uganda is still too caught up with the “big man” politics. President Museveni is in the mold of Mugabe and Said Barra, leaders whose departures signal chaos, and they use that threat to cling on to power. I believe that we need to put power back into the hands of the people. Our elections are meaningless because they are based on bribery and the state machinery is used heavily to undermine opponents. I think the number one agenda is genuine democracy. We need to fight corruption. The president and his cronies use government funds like loose change. I think we need leaders who lead by personal example. We also need to deal with social injustices- the gap between the rich and poor is too high. The price of basic necessities is too high, the government needs to intervene. Even the education sector discriminates against the poor; even health services discriminate against the poor. So my most urgent set of reforms would be to restore term limits, that’s very healthy for a democracy. People get used to arrivals and departures. Museveni has overstayed his welcome and he needs to go. And we don’t need his permission for us to tell him that he needs to go, and to make him go. We need to deal with economic reforms, and also to support the strategic sectors such as agriculture. But most of that will not be done if we have a kleptocrat and his cronies in power. Fighting corruption is a key agenda for me.
You have spoken about Kenyan elections in your rallies and about the tribal coalitions it uses. What do you think Uganda can learn from Kenya’s successes and failures?
Firstly I think that the Kenyans have learned that no community can totally dominate the country, and that forces compromise. I think that compromise is good in politics we must learn the culture of give and take, and I think the Kenyans have learned the hard way. We don’t have to learn the hard way. Secondly I think we have learned that if you are marginalized because of your tribe, then you should not apologize for organizing on the basis of your tribe. That’s why women organize as women, because if your gender is the basis for your marginalization then you should organize on the basis of that marginalization. Thirdly, we should learn from Kenya that you need to talk. In Uganda the political classes don’t talk. The main political leaders have never sat in the same room and talked. But also the Kenyan politics has totally disenfranchised the ordinary people, because the people are used as bargaining chips. The wheeling and dealing turns the people into pawns that are used to gain political mileage, and that is something we should avoid in Uganda.
What can be learned from the recent events in Tunisia and Egypt?
What we have learned is that no dictator is invincible. Every tyrant has their Achilles heel; you just have to find it. But we also have to study the societies. Egypt and Tunisia have very high literacy rates, the societies are culturally homogenous, and they speak Arabic, which unites them. But otherwise I think that the Tunisian and Egyptian experience is applicable to Uganda.
Do you think that the events in Tunisia and Egypt have had an effect on the way Ugandan voters view these elections?
Yes. It’s like a giant who has been sleeping realizing its strength. Because of the power of the media, you say Tunisia every Ugandans may not be able to locate it on a map but they know that there was a long-serving dictator who was kicked out by angry masses. It is a good precedent for those who desire democracy, and a bad precedent for despots. Uganda is not like Egypt and Tunisia, but Museveni is like Mubarak and Ben Ali.
And finally, the election is in two days. If you don’t win how will you and your family be relaxing after these grueling months of campaigning?
It’s not so much about relaxing. I will take a few days off to catch up on sleep, maybe do some travelling, compile my diary and generally get back to the work of preparing for the next offensive. That is if the result is acceptable. If we have reasons to challenge the results we will not be reluctant. We will be in the trenches, challenging the results and asserting the power of the people. If I win I will be naming a cabinet, touring the country and forming a governing alliance. We have run a strong race and surprised even ourselves. The party is energized and no matter the results, the exertions will not be in vain.
Tags 2011 presidential elections, 2011 uganda, democratic party, elections in uganda, Government, Mao, mao uganda, Norbert Mao, uganda democratic party, Ugandan elections, Voting, Candidate, Election, Parliament, Party Politics, Politics
We’ve just been at Makarere University for the last rally in Kampala, how have you found the campaign trail in this election?
For me it has been very exciting, it’s an opportunity to learn more about the people. It has also given me an opportunity to share with the people some of my thoughts and my plans. It has been an opportunity to mobilize the party. It has been an opportunity to get questions. And also I have had to come face to face with ghosts of the past. In the Luweero Triangle I was asked by someone about the killings by government troops, many of whom were from northern Uganda. So this was an opportunity to help Ugandans to come to terms with the past, and also to rise above it. So the campaign trail has been fantastic.
And how do you feel things have changed politically, particularly in Northern Uganda, since the last election?
Right now the population is more dispersed. People were in IDP camps, and candidates would patrol the camps and find voters. President Museveni has made some concessions about northern Uganda. So the political landscape has changed a little bit. I believe he expects a little more support. But he has not dealt with the substantive issues of national reconciliation; he has not dealt with the reparations, paying war debt. And because the expectations of the people are higher during peace, President Museveni may not actually reap any dividends. We are now called upon to be more substantive, not just denouncing war and conflict and displacement. So in many ways it is not 2006, at least it is not 2001.
The north has a very large young population, as does the rest of the country, and I’ve seen and heard a lot of people referring to you as Obama. How do you feel about that nickname?
I feel flattered to be associated with a great leader like President Barack Obama, but it’s more about my ethnic mix. My mother is from Ankole, where Museveni comes from, and my father is from Acholi, in Northern Uganda. The same way that Obama has been a bridge between black people and white people in America, many people believe that my ethnic mix gives me a better advantage in being a bridge to unite the north and the south, to heal that long divide that we have been having. Obama challenges us to aspire to a greater future and I am also challenging Ugandans by telling them that we can’t do anything about the past, but we can change the future.
One of your talking points is “UB40”, Ugandans Below 40. Do you think that your party has policies that attract young people?
The Democratic Party has the most vibrant youth movement. Our programs for job creation, for support entrepreneurship amongst the young, of supporting education through more funding, providing for student loans and providing scholarships for students to pursue degrees science and technology overseas, and our program for reforming the education system so that students can have real skills instead of just a piece of paper, these ideas are so appealing to the youth. And by being a candidate whose online presence is very strong, young people relate to me. They know that we have a shared past. They don’t share any past with Museveni. They relate to the demand for jobs and better education.
Young people are always known for having more progressive ideas. Uganda has been criticized internationally for its stance on gay rights and apparent toleration of homophobia. What are your thoughts on this issue?
All ideas must progress through time before they are accepted. Uganda is going through the effects of globalization, and while in the West gay people declare themselves openly and have clubs and publish magazines, our society has not yet reached that point. There was a piece of drama named “The Vagina Monologues”, and it was thrown out of Uganda. There was no outcry over that. I supported the women who wanted to show that piece of drama. The prejudice being felt by homosexuals in Uganda has been felt by other societies. I believe that homosexuals are human beings and that they are entitled to their human rights, but I think the world should understand when we take precautions to protect vulnerable parts of our society. But also I think the world has been unfair to Uganda. There are so many Ugandans who are in jail unfairly, but President Obama has never said a word about them. I think human rights should be like the Ten Commandments. It doesn’t matter which one you break, you go to hell. When I become president I will encourage the western world to understand why this is a sensitive debate.
It should be noted that the bill, which called for the death penalty for certain homosexual behavior, resulted partly from a tour by some evangelical ministers from the US.
Well this cuts both ways. I am a sinner, and am taught to hate the sin but love the sinner, and I think we have no right to judge. People should accept the culture shock, but also we must take precautions against the manipulations by those who are sitting on moral high horses. People will exploit [the gay rights movement], but I think that Uganda is big enough to accommodate people of all sexual orientations, because we cannot have a moral police going round putting cameras in people’s bedrooms. There would be many things going on.
What are the most important changes you think Uganda needs with its next government?
Uganda is still too caught up with the “big man” politics. President Museveni is in the mold of Mugabe and Said Barra, leaders whose departures signal chaos, and they use that threat to cling on to power. I believe that we need to put power back into the hands of the people. Our elections are meaningless because they are based on bribery and the state machinery is used heavily to undermine opponents. I think the number one agenda is genuine democracy. We need to fight corruption. The president and his cronies use government funds like loose change. I think we need leaders who lead by personal example. We also need to deal with social injustices- the gap between the rich and poor is too high. The price of basic necessities is too high, the government needs to intervene. Even the education sector discriminates against the poor; even health services discriminate against the poor. So my most urgent set of reforms would be to restore term limits, that’s very healthy for a democracy. People get used to arrivals and departures. Museveni has overstayed his welcome and he needs to go. And we don’t need his permission for us to tell him that he needs to go, and to make him go. We need to deal with economic reforms, and also to support the strategic sectors such as agriculture. But most of that will not be done if we have a kleptocrat and his cronies in power. Fighting corruption is a key agenda for me.
You have spoken about Kenyan elections in your rallies and about the tribal coalitions it uses. What do you think Uganda can learn from Kenya’s successes and failures?
Firstly I think that the Kenyans have learned that no community can totally dominate the country, and that forces compromise. I think that compromise is good in politics we must learn the culture of give and take, and I think the Kenyans have learned the hard way. We don’t have to learn the hard way. Secondly I think we have learned that if you are marginalized because of your tribe, then you should not apologize for organizing on the basis of your tribe. That’s why women organize as women, because if your gender is the basis for your marginalization then you should organize on the basis of that marginalization. Thirdly, we should learn from Kenya that you need to talk. In Uganda the political classes don’t talk. The main political leaders have never sat in the same room and talked. But also the Kenyan politics has totally disenfranchised the ordinary people, because the people are used as bargaining chips. The wheeling and dealing turns the people into pawns that are used to gain political mileage, and that is something we should avoid in Uganda.
What can be learned from the recent events in Tunisia and Egypt?
What we have learned is that no dictator is invincible. Every tyrant has their Achilles heel; you just have to find it. But we also have to study the societies. Egypt and Tunisia have very high literacy rates, the societies are culturally homogenous, and they speak Arabic, which unites them. But otherwise I think that the Tunisian and Egyptian experience is applicable to Uganda.
Do you think that the events in Tunisia and Egypt have had an effect on the way Ugandan voters view these elections?
Yes. It’s like a giant who has been sleeping realizing its strength. Because of the power of the media, you say Tunisia every Ugandans may not be able to locate it on a map but they know that there was a long-serving dictator who was kicked out by angry masses. It is a good precedent for those who desire democracy, and a bad precedent for despots. Uganda is not like Egypt and Tunisia, but Museveni is like Mubarak and Ben Ali.
And finally, the election is in two days. If you don’t win how will you and your family be relaxing after these grueling months of campaigning?
It’s not so much about relaxing. I will take a few days off to catch up on sleep, maybe do some travelling, compile my diary and generally get back to the work of preparing for the next offensive. That is if the result is acceptable. If we have reasons to challenge the results we will not be reluctant. We will be in the trenches, challenging the results and asserting the power of the people. If I win I will be naming a cabinet, touring the country and forming a governing alliance. We have run a strong race and surprised even ourselves. The party is energized and no matter the results, the exertions will not be in vain.
Tags 2011 presidential elections, 2011 uganda, democratic party, elections in uganda, Government, Mao, mao uganda, Norbert Mao, uganda democratic party, Ugandan elections, Voting, Candidate, Election, Parliament, Party Politics, Politics
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
MAO PROMISES BETTER SOCIAL SERVICES
By Andrew Ssenyonga
DEMOCRATIC Party (DP) presidential candidate Norbert Mao yesterday campaigned in Nakawa division where he told his supporters that he would uplift their living standards.
Mao, who addressed mini-rallies in Ntinda, Nakawa and Mbuya, said he would put in place health facilities, roads and projects to fight poverty.
“Some health facilities are in a poor state and need re-enforcement. The roads that are surrounding Kampala are also in a sorry state, something has to be done,” Mao stated.
Mao also promised to improve the education system.
“The standard of education in the country worries and if something is not done, our children might end up jobless.
“This is coupled with the rampant corruption in the education and the sub-standard graduates from the system,” he noted.
He added that most of the Government institutions were poorly funded.
Mao, who was accompanied by his wife Naome, told the people of Nakawa to embrace change.
At his rally at Acholi Quarters in Mbuya, Mao promised the residents permanent buildings once he is voted into power.
“You are not here because of your own will but due to the problems that befell the northern part of Uganda,” Mao said.
Mao also thanked the Kabaka of Buganda for welcoming the Acholi to his land. He added that it showed a sign of solidarity between the people of Buganda and those from the northern region. Mao advised the Acholi to only vote for DP members.
Mao told the residents that guns in the north had fallen silenct but the struggle to remove President Museveni from power was still on.
Mao campaigned for DP members Ketty Asabaawebwa (Kampala woman MP) and Nakawa division’s Kenneth Kakande.
He said DP had a strong, young and energetic team that would deliver better services and fight corruption.
DEMOCRATIC Party (DP) presidential candidate Norbert Mao yesterday campaigned in Nakawa division where he told his supporters that he would uplift their living standards.
Mao, who addressed mini-rallies in Ntinda, Nakawa and Mbuya, said he would put in place health facilities, roads and projects to fight poverty.
“Some health facilities are in a poor state and need re-enforcement. The roads that are surrounding Kampala are also in a sorry state, something has to be done,” Mao stated.
Mao also promised to improve the education system.
“The standard of education in the country worries and if something is not done, our children might end up jobless.
“This is coupled with the rampant corruption in the education and the sub-standard graduates from the system,” he noted.
He added that most of the Government institutions were poorly funded.
Mao, who was accompanied by his wife Naome, told the people of Nakawa to embrace change.
At his rally at Acholi Quarters in Mbuya, Mao promised the residents permanent buildings once he is voted into power.
“You are not here because of your own will but due to the problems that befell the northern part of Uganda,” Mao said.
Mao also thanked the Kabaka of Buganda for welcoming the Acholi to his land. He added that it showed a sign of solidarity between the people of Buganda and those from the northern region. Mao advised the Acholi to only vote for DP members.
Mao told the residents that guns in the north had fallen silenct but the struggle to remove President Museveni from power was still on.
Mao campaigned for DP members Ketty Asabaawebwa (Kampala woman MP) and Nakawa division’s Kenneth Kakande.
He said DP had a strong, young and energetic team that would deliver better services and fight corruption.
Monday, February 14, 2011
MY LEADERSHIP WILL BE NON-SECTARIAN-MAO
MOSES Mulondo interviewed presidential candidate Norbert Mao on his chances of winning the February 18 poll and how he hopes to manage the country thereafter.
How do you rate yourself and all the other candidates in the race?
Well, we have got those we call the usual suspects who include the NRM and the FDC and the only new thing we have observed in them is style, not substance. NRM’s Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for 25 years and FDC’s Kizza Besigye, who has campaigned for 10 years, are not like me who is new in the presidential contest. But of course I am not new in Uganda’s politics. To defeat an incumbent like Museveni you need to have a solid base.
What base do you have?
I have four different bases. As a candidate for DP, I count on the party’s traditional support base of Buganda, which has been re-awakened since I became the party leader.
I will certainly perform better than all other candidates in Buganda. My other base is Uganda’s young generation — below 40 years. I expect to win that vote. The 2011 election is about securing Uganda’s future and about closing the old chapter and opening a new one of brightness and hope.
My other base is the dispossessed, the ordinary people who constitute the majority of the voters.
Of all the candidates, I have taken the lead in fighting for their cause. Finally, the northern block will vote for me because my candidature pushes back the stigmatisation of the northerners.
I expect a resounding win in northern Uganda on account of my contribution to peace and reconstruction of the region. I believe this is an election we can win as DP and victory is in our hands.
Who do you consider to be the two leading contenders in the contest for the presidency?
Because of the power of incumbency, this election is between DP and the NRM.
Most of the people within the opposition fraternity believe I am the best alternative to the NRM regime because I have never been part of it and I am also the candidate of national reconciliation.
How do you now rate President Yoweri Museveni?
I still insist that President Yoweri Museveni enjoys the power of incumbency, but does not have sufficient numbers to win. It is possible that the election may go into a run-off. For him, power has become an end in itself.
How do you rate the FDC candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye?
The FDC still enjoys some level of support, especially from NRM members who have lost faith in Museveni as an individual but have not lost faith in the NRM. Besigye’s only drive into presidency seems to be kicking out Museveni, but Ugandans look beyond that because they are also interested in a better alternative.
Besigye has failed to galvanise his supporters. In fact, he depends on borrowed support from DP. FDC will suffer the dangers of a borrowed base. I believe that Besigye’s best days are behind him.
Are you saying 2006 was Besigye’s peak?
Yes. He has made two attempts and I do not believe that he can exceed his previous performance because he lacks a home, which I have.
And how do you rate the UPC candidate Olara Otunnu?
Ambassador Otunnu has in the past played national politics and at one time he was involved in peace talks between the Uganda government and Museveni, who was representing the NRA rebels. I look at Otunnu as somebody who is posing a moral challenge to Museveni. But having been away from Uganda for long, the time he has had on the ground is not enough to help him make an impact.
What about the UFA Presidential candidate Beti Kamya?
Beti Kamya is basically running a single issue campaign. She is very articulate and being the only woman candidate in the race makes her campaign more colourful.
But the issues she is raising are also being raised by all the other opposition candidates.
For DP, we have been fighting for federalism since the 1960s. Her candidature has surely created some level of excitement among people but it is impossible to win a national election on a single issue.
How do you gauge the PPP candidate, Bidandi Ssali?
I think Mzee Bidandi is clearing his conscience. He entered the race to show that he has offered his age and wisdom. He has run an impressive billboard campaign. I think his role is more as a moderating influence. I don’t think he is a serious contender.
What of Dr. Abed Bwanika of PDP?
Bwanika has some interesting ideas but he does not have any political base and that eliminates him from the serious contenders.
How do you rate Samuel Lubega?
Samuel Lubega lost disastrously two times in his attempt to become an MP. I think he is in the contest only to prove a point that he is also capable of running for president.
So, for him running for president is a great achievement and an end in itself. He is running a pathetic campaign which is unlikely to yield anything.
What do you think attracted this big number of people to contest for the presidency?
When you have many contenders for an office, it is a sign of fragmentation. But I think it also shows that many political leaders see 2011 as a turning point and they don’t want to be left behind.
What will you do if you are defeated?
If I lose in a free and fair process, I will congratulate the winner but if the process is marred with rigging and I am already seeing signs of rigging, I will lead a strong non-violent campaign to resist the perpetrators of the rigging. I will call out citizens to the streets to non-violently demonstrate against rigging.
If all goes well and you win, what will happen to Uganda?
It will be great for Ugandans to see a peaceful handover of power for the first time. It will be exciting to see a president who has no blood on his hands taking over. It will be exciting to see the Uganda army saluting me and paying respect to the office and not the occupant of the office which is what will restore faith in the democratic process. The Uganda I will lead will be sectarian-free.
If Museveni wins, would you accept an offer of a position to serve in his government?
To join in a Museveni government only means that you probably want the benefits of the office because it is very unlikely that you will be given the opportunity to serve.
So, my answer to your question is no. By the way, even if I were to join his government, he would be forced to dismiss me in a very short time.
But you can also find common ground even if you are not together in government. Cooperation must not only mean co-optation. So, I will agree to cooperate, but I will not agree to be co-opted in Museveni’s government.
VOTE DP TO END MILITARISM IN UGANDAN POLITICS
For more than 44 years after independence, Uganda has had a nasty past and uncertain future. Ethnicity, greed, power struggle and arrogance has reduced this country to the blood pot of East Africa.
On February 18, like on December 12, 1980, Uganda will make history. The 1980 elections, believed to have been rigged by Obote, gave birth to the National Resistance Movement- formed as a result of rigged elections! The moral question remains: why has President Museveni’s NRM forgotten to respect the power of the people as enshrined in Article 1 of the Constitution? Our past election was declared flawed and rigged by courts of law but the same Electoral Commission of 2006 is still in place.
The Democratic Party urges Ugandans to vote for Norbert Mao and own the process of transforming our country. All Ugandans registered must vote and put vote protection as a priority. DP will offer Uganda a lean, accountable and just government. We shall ride on the principle of truth and justice and restore respect for Uganda and its people. The regional divide responsible for past tension and violence will be erased with a president who appeals to all regions of Uganda. With a mother from Ankole and father from Acholi, Mao is set to build the otherwise broken social fabric and national cohesion.
DP under the leadership of Norbert Mao will end corruption through leading by example. We will set a foundation for democracy and good governance with stringent laws on corruption. We will ensure better service delivery in sectors such as education, health, infrastructures, minerals and the entire economy. DP will create and respect strong institutions of governance of state to promote rule of law besides ensuring respect for human dignity and justice for all and equality before the law. We shall have a people-based and sustainable economy.
Uganda’s economy is a paradox of poverty amidst plenty. While the economy is said to grow by seven per cent, relative and real poverty is on the rise! 80 per cent of our population depends on agriculture yet it’s the most neglected sector. DP will invest heavily in agriculture and make it a priority besides the manufacturing industry. This will create 1 million jobs within the first three years of our leadership. DP will also reduce the unfair tax burden on the society and create citizens economic empowerment fund to support enThe Democratic Party is the only party of hope for lasting peace in this country. Uganda will lean on the peaceful principles of DP for peace and prosperity. We shall improve the education sector through heavy investment. Teachers will have a living wage and accommodation.
DP will ensure quality of education, not access (enrollment numbers)! Lunch in schools will be a right and students from both poor and rich backgrounds will have the same education through loan schemes for institutions. The health sector too, will be boosted. DP will increase the health budget; Ugandans will have health insurance and above all, maternal health will be a priority besides combating HIV Aids. DP will create a fully-fledged ministry of youth and add up to their representation in Parliament.
At the end of the day, we ask: what has gone wrong in our country? The answer is Ugandans must heed to the voice of change- genuine change based on background and character of the leader being elected. We must put an end to arrogance and militarism; we must reinstate term limits and vote a president who transcends tribalism and stands on truth and justice. That president is Norbert Mao.
Mr Mwaka Lutukumoi, DP’s national spokesperson, wrote this article on behalf of his party leader
Sunday, February 13, 2011
MAO PROMISES TO LOWER TAXES
DEMOCRATIC Party presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, has promised to lower taxes and boost businesses.
He said he would also embark on infrastructural development in the area of roads, railways, education and health.
While addressing a rally at Boma grounds, in Koboko over the weekend, he told a jubilant crowd that he would also raise the agriculture budget to 15%, restore the defunct cooperatives and establish a farmer’s bank to make farming attractive and lucrative.
He also promised to set up an export processing zone at Oraba to tap the lucrative market in South Sudan and create employment opportunities for the youth. At Oraba border, Mao pledged to support South Sudan to join the East African Community.
Earlier in the day, Mao traversed all the seven sub-counties of Koboko district, bolstering support for Dr. David Dronyi, the DP parliamentary flag-bearer for Koboko.
He castigated the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme for lacking quality and serving as a dumping ground for children of the poor.
“Why should the future of our children depend on the wealth or poverty of their parents?” he asked. We are all of equal value. Every child has dreams that must be nurtured in life.”
MAO PREDICTS A RE-RUN, BRAGS OF HOME SUPPORT
Written by Michael Mubangizi
Sunday, 06 February 2011 21:09
With presidential election campaigns almost entering their last week, DP presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, is sparing no effort in persuading Ugandans to choose him ahead of his rivals.
Mao, the outgoing Gulu LC-V chairman, is currently campaigning in his home region of northern Uganda. He winds up his tour of the West Nile districts of Arua, Nebbi, Zombo, Maracha, Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo and Adjumani tomorrow, before embarking on Gulu, Amuru, Lamwo, Kitgum and Pader districts.
The main targets of his message have been President Yoweri Museveni, Dr Kizza Besigye and Olara Otunnu.
Mao says that Besigye, who is president of the Forum for Democratic Change and flagbearer of the Inter-Party Cooperation, cannot win the presidency because he has no support in his home region – western Uganda.
“I come with a bloc vote from the north, an area that has never voted for Museveni. Join me so that we defeat him,” Mao repeatedly told his supporters in Jinja recently.
“Charity begins at home. A person without support at home cannot defeat Museveni.”
Besides losing in his home area, Mao says, Besigye has lost in the two previous presidential elections (2001 and 2006) and thus exhausted his chances of becoming president.
“He has missed two penalties. Which coach can give you a third penalty kick?” Mao asked at a rally in Arua town last week. He repeats this analogy at most of his rallies.
Mao also throws barbs at Otunnu, the Uganda People’s Congress flag bearer. Although he rarely mentions Otunnu by name, Mao often says that unlike him who stuck with his people in their time of suffering during the conflict and helped highlight their plight, “his brother” was away, making phone calls asking about the war and the situation in northern Uganda.
“Now he has come back and is asking for votes. You don’t bring someone an umbrella when it has stopped raining,” Mao frequently says, ridiculing Otunnu, who spent several years overseas working with the United Nations as the war raged on in his Acholi homeland.
With the end of the war in the north, pundits predict an improvement in President Museveni’s political fortunes in the region. But Mao has been telling voters that Museveni, flag bearer of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), cannot claim any credit for ending the war in northern Uganda.
“You can’t put someone in a ditch for 20 years, then remove him and ask for votes from that person! The first thing that person will ask you before giving you a vote is why you put him in the ditch in the first place,” Mao said at rallies in Jinja.
Most of his campaigns in West Nile hinged on his record as a leader (MP and Gulu district chairman), which he says he has used to highlight the suffering in the region.
Mao also speaks of significant support from other parts of Uganda, particularly Buganda, where he says DP has strong support, and western Uganda from where his mother hails. He also brags about having a good following in eastern Uganda where he attended school.
However, contrary to Mao’s claims, history shows that people do not necessarily vote for candidates because they hail from their regions. For instance, his predecessor, Ssebaana Kizito, lost to President Museveni in Buganda.
Analysts also say that neither of the other presidential candidates, all Baganda, is strong enough to win in Buganda in the upcoming elections, and that the winner will be from another region. They are Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, Sam Lubega, Beti Kamya and Dr Abed Bwanika.
Predicting a rerun
Mao predicts that none of the presidential candidates will have an outright victory. Therefore, he says, he is confident that he will win in the subsequent re-run.
“This election will go into the second round, so if you in the north vote me, plus Buganda where DP has strong roots, then my [relatives] in the west and friends in the east, I will be the one to defeat Museveni.”
Mineral wealth
Mao also talks about the discovery of oil and other mineral wealth in parts of northern Uganda – citing oil and gold in Amuru, and gold and uranium in Rhino Camp, Arua – and cautions voters that NRM and Museveni cannot be entrusted with this wealth because of corruption.
“Leaving NRM in charge of oil is like leaving a hyena to guard your meat,” he said in Arua, adding that Museveni will become “even more despotic” with oil.
Mao claimed that influential people in government were buying land around the oil wells in a bid to take control of the ‘black gold’.
“They want to grab our land after impoverishing us,” he lamented.
Several people living with HIV and AIDS attended the rally in Arua town under their umbrella body, Arua District Network of People Living with HIV/ AIDS.
They demanded to know Mao’s policies about the pandemic. They also wanted assurances that his government would avail medicine in national hospitals.
Mao signed a memorandum of understanding with the organization, undertaking to raise funding for HIV/ AIDS prevention and treatment, and to increase funding to the health budget to 15%. He also promised to transform all Health Centre IV facilities into hospitals.
Mao’s rallies are normally cheerful because of his blend of wit and humour as he addresses issues affecting Ugandans. He normally reads out his mobile phone number at rallies for people to report to him cases of intimidation and to volunteer as DP agents.
He is, however, hampered by the lack of DP structures in some areas and this often affects preparations for his rallies.
In many cases, people in Mao’s convoy have to disembark and mobilize people to attend his rallies because DP has no one in the respective areas specifically responsible for this.
mcmubs@observer.ug
Sunday, 06 February 2011 21:09
With presidential election campaigns almost entering their last week, DP presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, is sparing no effort in persuading Ugandans to choose him ahead of his rivals.
Mao, the outgoing Gulu LC-V chairman, is currently campaigning in his home region of northern Uganda. He winds up his tour of the West Nile districts of Arua, Nebbi, Zombo, Maracha, Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo and Adjumani tomorrow, before embarking on Gulu, Amuru, Lamwo, Kitgum and Pader districts.
The main targets of his message have been President Yoweri Museveni, Dr Kizza Besigye and Olara Otunnu.
Mao says that Besigye, who is president of the Forum for Democratic Change and flagbearer of the Inter-Party Cooperation, cannot win the presidency because he has no support in his home region – western Uganda.
“I come with a bloc vote from the north, an area that has never voted for Museveni. Join me so that we defeat him,” Mao repeatedly told his supporters in Jinja recently.
“Charity begins at home. A person without support at home cannot defeat Museveni.”
Besides losing in his home area, Mao says, Besigye has lost in the two previous presidential elections (2001 and 2006) and thus exhausted his chances of becoming president.
“He has missed two penalties. Which coach can give you a third penalty kick?” Mao asked at a rally in Arua town last week. He repeats this analogy at most of his rallies.
Mao also throws barbs at Otunnu, the Uganda People’s Congress flag bearer. Although he rarely mentions Otunnu by name, Mao often says that unlike him who stuck with his people in their time of suffering during the conflict and helped highlight their plight, “his brother” was away, making phone calls asking about the war and the situation in northern Uganda.
“Now he has come back and is asking for votes. You don’t bring someone an umbrella when it has stopped raining,” Mao frequently says, ridiculing Otunnu, who spent several years overseas working with the United Nations as the war raged on in his Acholi homeland.
With the end of the war in the north, pundits predict an improvement in President Museveni’s political fortunes in the region. But Mao has been telling voters that Museveni, flag bearer of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), cannot claim any credit for ending the war in northern Uganda.
“You can’t put someone in a ditch for 20 years, then remove him and ask for votes from that person! The first thing that person will ask you before giving you a vote is why you put him in the ditch in the first place,” Mao said at rallies in Jinja.
Most of his campaigns in West Nile hinged on his record as a leader (MP and Gulu district chairman), which he says he has used to highlight the suffering in the region.
Mao also speaks of significant support from other parts of Uganda, particularly Buganda, where he says DP has strong support, and western Uganda from where his mother hails. He also brags about having a good following in eastern Uganda where he attended school.
However, contrary to Mao’s claims, history shows that people do not necessarily vote for candidates because they hail from their regions. For instance, his predecessor, Ssebaana Kizito, lost to President Museveni in Buganda.
Analysts also say that neither of the other presidential candidates, all Baganda, is strong enough to win in Buganda in the upcoming elections, and that the winner will be from another region. They are Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, Sam Lubega, Beti Kamya and Dr Abed Bwanika.
Predicting a rerun
Mao predicts that none of the presidential candidates will have an outright victory. Therefore, he says, he is confident that he will win in the subsequent re-run.
“This election will go into the second round, so if you in the north vote me, plus Buganda where DP has strong roots, then my [relatives] in the west and friends in the east, I will be the one to defeat Museveni.”
Mineral wealth
Mao also talks about the discovery of oil and other mineral wealth in parts of northern Uganda – citing oil and gold in Amuru, and gold and uranium in Rhino Camp, Arua – and cautions voters that NRM and Museveni cannot be entrusted with this wealth because of corruption.
“Leaving NRM in charge of oil is like leaving a hyena to guard your meat,” he said in Arua, adding that Museveni will become “even more despotic” with oil.
Mao claimed that influential people in government were buying land around the oil wells in a bid to take control of the ‘black gold’.
“They want to grab our land after impoverishing us,” he lamented.
Several people living with HIV and AIDS attended the rally in Arua town under their umbrella body, Arua District Network of People Living with HIV/ AIDS.
They demanded to know Mao’s policies about the pandemic. They also wanted assurances that his government would avail medicine in national hospitals.
Mao signed a memorandum of understanding with the organization, undertaking to raise funding for HIV/ AIDS prevention and treatment, and to increase funding to the health budget to 15%. He also promised to transform all Health Centre IV facilities into hospitals.
Mao’s rallies are normally cheerful because of his blend of wit and humour as he addresses issues affecting Ugandans. He normally reads out his mobile phone number at rallies for people to report to him cases of intimidation and to volunteer as DP agents.
He is, however, hampered by the lack of DP structures in some areas and this often affects preparations for his rallies.
In many cases, people in Mao’s convoy have to disembark and mobilize people to attend his rallies because DP has no one in the respective areas specifically responsible for this.
mcmubs@observer.ug
Friday, February 04, 2011
MAO TO ORGANISE VOTER HEAD COUNTING
By BENEDICT OKETHWENGU
THE Democratic Party presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, has said the Electoral Commission should get ready for physical head counting of voters, if the NRM rigs the elections.
“If your Museveni and Kiggundu attempt to steal votes, I shall mobilise the voters across the country for physical head counting,” Mao said.
Mao said he does not trust the commission, headed by Eng. Badru Kiggundu.
He said voters should be ready to come with voters’ cards for physical counting.
Mao said Uganda needs a civilised democracy where there is a line separating the Government and the President.
“We need a new design of running this country, the President has the right and duty, but all programmes should not be attributed to him,” he said.
Mao said he would beat Museveni for top office because of his cross-cutting background and his support among the youth.
He labelled the Inter-party cooperation an alliance without a symbol, alluding it to three men fighting over a woman, who tells them to go and negotiate among themselves, saying she would be willing to take anybody they agree on.
Mao accused SUUBI of practicing tribal politics, saying they are not supporting him because he is not a Muganda. He promised to fight corruption in Uganda.
Mao said corruption has led to poor road network and shortage of drugs in hospitals.
He urged the people to shun candidates who say they will bring development because they are close to the President.
“Look for quality leaders with a good record and people who do not preach hatred,” Mao advised.
I do not think there is any person close to the president apart from his wife,” he said amid applause
THE Democratic Party presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, has said the Electoral Commission should get ready for physical head counting of voters, if the NRM rigs the elections.
“If your Museveni and Kiggundu attempt to steal votes, I shall mobilise the voters across the country for physical head counting,” Mao said.
Mao said he does not trust the commission, headed by Eng. Badru Kiggundu.
He said voters should be ready to come with voters’ cards for physical counting.
Mao said Uganda needs a civilised democracy where there is a line separating the Government and the President.
“We need a new design of running this country, the President has the right and duty, but all programmes should not be attributed to him,” he said.
Mao said he would beat Museveni for top office because of his cross-cutting background and his support among the youth.
He labelled the Inter-party cooperation an alliance without a symbol, alluding it to three men fighting over a woman, who tells them to go and negotiate among themselves, saying she would be willing to take anybody they agree on.
Mao accused SUUBI of practicing tribal politics, saying they are not supporting him because he is not a Muganda. He promised to fight corruption in Uganda.
Mao said corruption has led to poor road network and shortage of drugs in hospitals.
He urged the people to shun candidates who say they will bring development because they are close to the President.
“Look for quality leaders with a good record and people who do not preach hatred,” Mao advised.
I do not think there is any person close to the president apart from his wife,” he said amid applause
MAO TO UPGRADE ALL HEALTH CENTRES
Wednesday, 2nd February, 2011 E-mail article Print article
By DENNIS OJWEE
THE Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, has pledged to rebuild all health centre IV’s in the country to hospitals, fully equipped to conduct operations.
He said the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni had built health centres but had failed to stock them with drugs and equipment.
While addressing supporters at Koc-Goma sub-county headquarters in Nwoya district on Tuesday, Mao said since the NRM came into power in the 1986, it had failed to build any hospitals. It had also failed to manage the ones constructed during Obote’s regime.
“Museveni’s NRM in its 25 years in power has never constructed a single hospital. Museveni even failed to maintain and equip the national and regional referral hospitals to standards expected from what they were before the colonialists left them,” said Mao.
He added that when elected to power, his government would upgrade the current health centre IV’s into hospitals and equip them with theaters and modern equipment.
He attributed the poor state of the health sector to corruption practices by the NRM government.
Mao also said he would lead Uganda with non-corrupt practices so as to promote the quality of education. He said that this would be easy for him and his government if elected because the initial ideas of universal primary and secondary education put in place by the NRM was stolen from DP.
Mao promised to improve on national infrastructures like roads and schools and added that he would link major towns to major tarmac roads to improve on transport and communications in the Country.
He warned the NRM against intimidation.
“If you people vote for me, I will be sure that this election goes into a re-run, where I am sure that I will beat Museveni to the presidency,” said Mao.
Mao, who addressed a rally at Koc-Goma, later held rallies at Alero, Anaka and the Nwoya district headquarters before proceeding to West Nile region.
By DENNIS OJWEE
THE Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, has pledged to rebuild all health centre IV’s in the country to hospitals, fully equipped to conduct operations.
He said the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni had built health centres but had failed to stock them with drugs and equipment.
While addressing supporters at Koc-Goma sub-county headquarters in Nwoya district on Tuesday, Mao said since the NRM came into power in the 1986, it had failed to build any hospitals. It had also failed to manage the ones constructed during Obote’s regime.
“Museveni’s NRM in its 25 years in power has never constructed a single hospital. Museveni even failed to maintain and equip the national and regional referral hospitals to standards expected from what they were before the colonialists left them,” said Mao.
He added that when elected to power, his government would upgrade the current health centre IV’s into hospitals and equip them with theaters and modern equipment.
He attributed the poor state of the health sector to corruption practices by the NRM government.
Mao also said he would lead Uganda with non-corrupt practices so as to promote the quality of education. He said that this would be easy for him and his government if elected because the initial ideas of universal primary and secondary education put in place by the NRM was stolen from DP.
Mao promised to improve on national infrastructures like roads and schools and added that he would link major towns to major tarmac roads to improve on transport and communications in the Country.
He warned the NRM against intimidation.
“If you people vote for me, I will be sure that this election goes into a re-run, where I am sure that I will beat Museveni to the presidency,” said Mao.
Mao, who addressed a rally at Koc-Goma, later held rallies at Alero, Anaka and the Nwoya district headquarters before proceeding to West Nile region.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Mao to cut tax on fuel, scrap PAYE
The Democratic Party presidential candidate, Mr Nobert Mao, has pledged to cut taxes on fuel and scrap pay as you earn tax (PAYE) on low salary earners.
Addressing rallies in Wakiso recently, Mao said the current government has fixed huge taxes on fuel and individual salaries which has consequently hiked prices for essential commodities in the country. He said it is also useless to tax salaries below Shs400,000 since it infringes on peoples’ purchasing power and ability to live a sustainable life.
“Uganda has the highest fuel prices in East and Central Africa because of high taxes. This is why essential commodities like soap and paraffin are too expensive,”
High fuel prices
He said “it is high time we changed the whole system and handover leadership to realistic leaders.” Fuel prices in most petrol stations have since last year shot up ranging between Shs3,300 to Shs3,050. Paraffin has risen to Shs2,200 while diesel to Sh2, 500 per liter.
However, a government official from the industry who preferred anonymity says that the high demand for petrol during the festive season spilled over into the New Year yet the pipeline capacity has not been upgraded to increase on its output.
The DP presidential flag bearer also pledged an overhaul in the education and health system where he would review the education curriculum, rehabilitation of staff and wage increment.
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