KAMPALA– Benedicto Kiwanuka Galiko has answered the Democratic Party’s (DP) top leadership who were complaining about the low turn up of People with interest to contest on the Party’s ticket in the forthcoming General elections.
“We are seeing majority of Democratic Party members Crossing to other parties for fear of being mixed up in DP’s marriage with National Resistance Movement (NRM).”
He also noted that it’s unfortunate that there was no elections of National Executive Committee (NEC) members in both Gulu and Mbarara meetings.
“Article 69 of the Party Constitution is very clear on how party leaders and flag bearers have to be elected, but unfortunately the current leadership adopted everything thing in NRM style which has angered many.”
That the Constitution entrusts power with the district leadership to nominate candidates willing to hold the party’s flag on positions of Councilors, Mayors and LC. 5 Chairpersons , but the current leadership wants everything to be done at the Party headquarters which is not right.
He vowed to continue working with all other stakeholders including filing cases in court with an aim of bringing back Democratic Party to order as it was in the past.
Early this month, Mr Kennedy Mutenyo the Democratic Party’s Chairperson for Electoral Commission revealed that they were going to extend the dates for members willing to contest on the Party flag following the low turn up registered.
It should be noted that the process which kicked off on July 2nd 2025, by 6th July it had only 36 members who had expressed interest to carry the party flag on the seat of Member of Parliament from various parts of the country which was not the case before.
In the past few months of this year, DP has lost the following members of Parliament namely: Dr Michael Lulume Bayiga (Buikwe
South), who joined the People’s Front for Freedom, and Fortunate Rose Nantongo (Woman MP, Kyotera), John Paul Mpalanyi (MP, Kyotera), and Lutamaguzi Ssemakula (MP, Nakaseke South), all of whom joined the National Unity Platform (NUP).
