The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah who is also standing for the Speaker of the 10th Parliament has been invited to the National Resistance Movement party’s Central Executive Committee meeting.
The CEC meeting at State House Entebbe on Monday afternoon is to deliberate and decide on the party position in the contentious race for the Speaker’s seat.
ChimpReports has learnt that both the candidates for Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are going to be presented before the CEC members and given chance to brief the top party organ on their plans for the 10th Parliament.
Today’s CEC meeting is the second item following the first activity successfully concluded last week. The NRM Electoral Commission on Tuesday to Friday last week conducted the expression of interest for
the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
The race for Speaker has only two candidates (Incumbent Rebecca Kadaga and Oulanyah) while 6 newly elected Members of Parliament have expressed interest for Deputy Speaker.
Kadaga is a member of CEC since she is the National Female Vice Chairperson of NRM; and has been attending all the past meetings.
Those in the race for Deputy Speaker are state Minister for Finance, David Bahati, NRM Caucus Spokesman, Denis Hamson Obua, Chairperson Human Rights Committee of Parliament Jovah Kamateka, Lwemiaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo and National Youth MP Monica Amoding (Kumi woman
MP elect).
Invite
The invitation of the candidates to CEC was not expected since the NRM has all the records of those who have shown interest in the two instrumental positions.
As earlier reported, CEC has two options; either to generate consensus and pick one candidate, or send all the names for vote.
Calling all the candidates to State House indicates both options are on the table. The race for mainly the Speaker has almost polarized the party.
On Monday, Chimpreports obtain information that President Museveni is expected to hold a private meeting with Oulanyah.
In November last year during the NRM Delegates’ Conference, President Yoweri Museveni who had been chosen unopposed for the party Chairman, decided to talk to different prominent officials standing for regional vice chairpersons to stand down for the incumbents to maintain party cohesion.
For National Vice Chairperson North, Oulanyah and Minister Hilary Onek were made to stand down for Minister Engola Sam.
Meanwhile for Eastern, MP Simon Mulongo and others were made to stand down for Mike Mukula. In Kampala there was an unsuccessful attempt to make Katongole Singh, Amooti Nyakana and the rest to stand down for Francis Babu. They all went for a vote and Nyakana emerged the winner.
For the Western region the President reigned on his son in-law Odrek Rwabogo to give way for Brig. Matayo Kyaligonza.
ChimpReports understands that those in support of Kadaga want the President to intervene and ask Hon. Oulanyah to stand down for the incumbent. Those in Oulanyah’s camp who are aware of the plan are however strongly opposed to it.
Oulanyah`s campaign manager, Michael Kiwanda told ChimpReports on Monday morning that their candidate is not going to accept standing down.
The vote is going to be carried out on Thursday at State House Entebbe by the newly elected NRM Members of Parliament.