Opposition Democratic Party President, Norbert Mao has Tuesday announced that the party won’t engage in early elections to replace the fallen Secretary General, Mathias Nsubuga but have resolved to allow the Deputy to take over his office.
Nsubuga died on Sunday, December 18 at Case Hospital in Kampala and has been deputized by Gerald Siranda who has now been appointed as a full Secretary General to serve for a period of one year.
“We have announced that for the time being the Deputy Secretary General (SG) will perform the functions of that office; after one year, the period which we need to properly mourn our departed SG, the appropriate organs of the party will take measures to fill the vacancy,” Mao announced during the party’s weekly press briefing at City House on Tuesday.
“We have every confidence that during that period, Siranda will be able to do what is required of that office. In DP we work as a team, that’s why when I was very ill, the office of the president continued to be functional,” Mao said.
He called upon all party members, leaders and staff to accord Siranda all the necessary support and to enhance team work for the good of the party.
In his address to the media, Siranda appreciated the work by his late boss and promised to work in collaboration with all party members and leaders to further the projects and work of the late Mathias Nsubuga.
“We have been working together; I have been deputizing him at all fronts including at the Interparty Organization for Dialogue (IPOD) where he has been serving as a Chairman,” Siranda said.
Siranda noted that in the late Nsubuga left a lot of unfinished business on the table which he feels should be first accomplished before engaging into filling his vacant seat.
“He was spearheading meetings with different party presidents and a meeting with president Museveni, that’s something that am going to take lead into, I also believe in dialogue as a form of conflict resolution.”
“He was also spearheading the building of Ben Kiwanuka House, Elections of LCs and have already put up a circular.”
Siranda has called upon all party members that have aspirations of becoming the party’s Secretary General to first come out and work together for the good of the party.