The National Resistance Movement party caucus retreat opened on Sunday with top officials nervously avoiding the question of the next Speaker of Parliament when approached by media.
As the party bosses took a mute line, informal campaigns for the position are vigorously going on, Chimp Corps report.
The meeting taking place at Kyankwanzi National Leadership Institute was officially opened by President Yoweri Museveni who is also the chairman of the party.
The meeting was openned yesterday by President Yoweri Museveni
The newly elected members of Parliament on the NRM ticket and the incumbents who returned including ministers are the participants in the 10 day event.
With their significant numerical strength, whatever the ruling party decides in its Caucus is almost always the stance of Parliament.
NRM secured 301 seats in the February Parliamentary polls; which is 66 percent of the total 455 seats.
The newly elected members of Parliament on the NRM ticket and the incumbents who returned including ministers are the participants in the 10 day event.
The first task towards realizing the maximum output of the majority members is coming up with a Speaker.
The campaign teams of incumbent Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and her Deputy Jacob Oulanyah were seen working tirelessly at Kyankwanzi.
The name of Foreign Affairs minister, Sam Kahamba Kutesa who is also rumored to be eyeing the position, is however not on the ground.
Members getting down low
When pressed by reporters who attended the opening session, all the Caucus and the party Secretariat officials muttered a seemingly rehearsed response.
The Deputy Secretary General Richard Todwong said the party has picked Speakers since it came to power without contention and that this would be the case even this time.
“Parliament has been there and the Speaker has come from amongst us since 1986. I don’t expect much ado this time. Let the people just be calm and wait for 18th May.” Todwong said.
The members of the new Parliament are going to take oath of allegiance and subsequently start work on the 18th.
The meeting will last 10 days
The Speaker and the Deputy shall also be immediately elected after the swearing in.
The Government Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa who is also the Woman MP for Kiboga district reiterated Todwong’s position saying the ongoing Kyankwanzi retreat is not for selecting the next speaker.
“The time for us to choose the Speaker and the deputy is in May. There is no need to talk about it now. The retreat is looking at other equally important issues.”
Both Oulanyah and Kadaga, who are not attending the retreat due to impartiality that their offices demand, are interestingly going to present papers on 19th and 20th respectively according to the program seen by this reporter.