Election of EALA Flagbearer

Democratic Party is set to hold the primary election to get the EALA flag bearer on Saturday, 11th December 2021. The election will take place in a sitting of the 12th National Executive Committee of the Party at DP National Campaign Command Center-Balintuma Road commencing at exactl10:00 am EAT. The commitment of the Party is to conduct this business in a free, fair and transparent manner with utmost level of impartiality on the part of the organizers.

Parliament should be allowed to scrutinize the Bilateral agreement between Uganda and DRC

Democratic Party joins the voices of Ugandans decrying the deployment of the UPDF in The Democratic Republic of Congo, we are alive to the fact that though not a legal requirement for the President to seek approval of Parliament while deploying the army in the circumstances at present, it is courteous that Parliament is briefed immediately after the deployment, no such a thing happened.

It is absurd that members of the legislature were also briefed together with the citizens on media about the progress of “Operation Suja” as they call it, why would the executive do that? There is only one reason to answer this question namely, avoiding being held accountable.

The legislature is the arm of government tasked with the power to hold the executive accountable for whatever decision they make, it acts as the public eye, as such, it is only natural that the executive dodges the legislature in circumstances where sinister motives are resident in their move. What are you hiding from the face of the public?

Our army has a bad history in the DRC because a few greedy individuals who have never even been punished stole gold, timber and other minerals from that country. It is Ugandans, not the individuals that were held accountable, the thieves have never been held accountable and yet we know them.

Democratic Party therefore believes, and strongly so that while the intention projected by the government is good on the surface of it, the presence of the UPDF in the forests of Congo is beyond merely pursuing the ADF, it could be another platform to heist the minerals of the DRC, if this happens Ugandans will pay heavily.

Therefore, the Democratic Party demands that the President briefs Parliament on the arrangement under which the said “Operation Suja” is being executed, and that the bilateral agreement being a public document be accessed by all Ugandans and also be subjected to Parliament for scrutiny.

Opening Education Institutions

The government is set to open educational institutions that have been closed for nearly two years, the Democratic Party believes that the opening of these educational institutions is long overdue. We do believe that this should have been done a little earlier than January 2022 because the longer learners stay out of class the more challenges they get to cope with learning again, the more the school owners find it hard to start again.

The government has only stated that schools are opening in January next year but no pragmatically visible steps have been taken to seal their commitment in that regard. Learners should be prepared for school through rehabilitations and the school owners but owners, teachers and support staff should be supported to resume.

Democratic Party demanded that the government prepare a stimulus package for school owners, teachers and support staff, before the opening of schools but this has not yet been done, we asked tough questions like what is the plight of learners in private institutions that have been closed for lack of rent? What about those whose premises were taken by the loan sharks?! What about teachers who no longer have shoes and clothes worthy the title “Mwalim”? The answer to this would be a stimulus package extended to meet these needs.

Democratic Party continues to remind the government that the future of our country lies in education, therefore resumption of schools should be given due attention, some of the former learners are hawkers, herdsmen, child mothers and fathers, shop attendants, etc. The structures making former schools are now guest houses, former classrooms are chicken houses, former school compounds are grazing grounds this should be reason enough for government to find resources and jump-start the education sector.

Okoler Opio Lo Amanu
Spokesperson DP
0775107003 / 0700727704