ENTEBBE, Uganda — All aspiring candidates from the National Resistance Movement for the positions of speaker and deputy speaker have stepped down in favor of Jacob Oboth-Oboth and Thomas Tayebwa, sealing the ruling party’s leadership lineup ahead of the opening of the 12th Parliament.
Oboth-Oboth, the member of parliament for West Budama Central and outgoing minister of defence, has been endorsed as the flag bearer for the position of speaker. Tayebwa, the legislator for Ruhinda North in Mitooma and the outgoing deputy speaker, was endorsed to maintain his position as deputy speaker.
The political consensus was reached Sunday during an NRM Parliamentary Caucus meeting convened at State House Entebbe. The meeting was chaired by President Yoweri Museveni, who also serves as the NRM national chairman.
The caucus followed a meeting of the NRM Central Executive Committee, the party’s top governing organ, which originally selected and endorsed the two lawmakers for the respective leadership slots. The decision creates a unified front for the ruling party, which commands a strong majority in the legislature.
The internal consensus effectively clears the path for both candidates ahead of the formal parliamentary vote. Parliamentary elections for both the speaker and deputy speaker positions are scheduled to take place Monday at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala.
With the internal opposition within the party stepping aside, the NRM nominees are expected to easily secure the top leadership seats of the legislature during the inaugural sitting of the 12th Parliament.
