Kira Municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, has accused Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party Secretary General, Nandala Mafabi, of running the party like a kiosk saying, he should have spared Parliament of such lunacy.
He was reacting to the decision by Speaker Anita Among, to block his dismissal as FDC Whip in Parliament.
Speaker Among declined to relieve Nganda of his position as Whip for FDC in Parliament, after some MPs petitioned Parliament asking to halt the changes, accusing Nandala Mafabi of taking the decision without consulting the Party’s National Executive Committee.
She asked Mafabi to provide evidence of the meeting he held with FDC MPs agreeing to sack Nganda as their whip and asked FDC Party leadership to address the issues raised in the petition, saying the failure to do so would affect harmony, cohesion and operations at Parliament.
-Mafabi runs FDC like a kiosk-
“First of all, in all parties including NRM that is run like a kiosk, even in their kiosk-style, there are processes. Nandala thinks he can run a party maybe the same way he runs Bugisu Cooperative Union,” Nganda said.
“I was never appointed by Nandala Mafabi, in fact, Patrick Amuriat had appointed Betty Aol. He presented the name to the National Executive Committee (NEC) and they rejected it.”
According to Nganda, he was appointed to that position by NEC, not by Mafabi himself.
“I am here because of NEC, not because of Nandala, but I didn’t want to extend the lunacy of those guys to Parliament, I had wanted to spare Parliament of that lunatic behaviour. But they brought it themselves and they are embarrassed,” added Nganda.
He also questioned Mawokota South MP, Yusuf Nsibambi’s interpretation of the law accusing him of prematurely accepting his appointment as FDC Whip, adding that he is ready to relinquish that position because there is nothing special about being Party Whip in Parliament.
“There is nothing in being Whip of FDC, I think because my name is involved, they think it is very big, it seems everything I touch becomes big. There is nothing about being a Whip, your job under the Administration of Parliament Act is to remind MPs to attend Parliament and designate MPs to Committee, which happens once a year. Is that something to die for?” he pointed out.
-Politics an income-generating project-
In his response to the scrutiny of his legal understanding, Nsibambi said: “I am a lawyer by profession, I have taught this court at Makerere University to do with Corporate Governance close to 17 years, I have also practised it, I was a bank Secretary for 7 banks.”
He added: “I am only concerned about our colleagues in parliament and politicians. They look at politics as an income-generating project. I am just unhappy that people are dragging Parliament into the conflict between Katonga and Najjanankumbi.”
Nsibambi, in turn, accused politicians of turning politics into an income-generating project, saying FDC’s working Committee is the one that appointed both Nganda and himself whose constitution requires all members to abide by the code or the constitution of the party.
He added that the Secretary-General (Mafabi) has the mandate to write to the Speaker and expressed hope about having the matter resolved in days.
Mafabi and Among lock horns
An enraged Mafabi would not accept to go down quietly and launched a counterattack against Speaker Among who he accused of interfering in FDC’s internal affairs.
In an August 17 letter, he told the Speaker that in FDC, they have a Working Committee of NEC under Article 22 of the FDC Constitution which acts as the Cabinet for the Party.
“In fact, they petitioned the wrong office. This petition was never served to the Party. We wish they had also provided you with the Party Constitution to show you what was violated.”
He went on: “Madam Speaker, these members misled you because the functions of the National Executive Committee, National Council or National Delegates Conference are clearly spelt out in the Party Constitution…. There is nothing like appointing the Whip or Parliamentary Officer holders.”
Mafabi told the Speaker that if she had asked for clarification from him, in his capacity as a Member of Parliament and Secretary General, he would have clarified, faulting her for meddling in FDC Matters.
“Your letter clearly shows that Parliament is meddling in internal party operations which is against the Political Parties and Organizations Act as amended,” he added.