By Watera Atai,
SOROTI
Democratic Party has dismissed reports that their party president general, Hon. Nobert Mao is set to resign as the minister of justice and constitutional affairs.
On Friday, some Media outlets reported that Mao had announced his resignation following resolutions made during the party’s National Council meeting at May 7 Hotel in Soroti City. The reports suggested that the resignation stemmed from disputes over the corporation agreement with the National Resistance Movement (NRM), with DP members accusing both Mao and the NRM of dishonoring terms of the agreement.
During the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Soroti, party Vice President for Central Region, Hon. Dr. Fred Mukasa Mbidde moved a motion to initiate proceedings to formally terminate the existing cooperation agreement with the NRM.
A second motion was then proposed, suggesting a one-month deferment of the termination process to allow the party an opportunity for thorough self-evaluation concerning its participation in the agreement.
However, DP’s acting spokesperson, Ismail Kiirya refuted media reports about Mao’s resignation calling them false and baseless. He clarified that the meeting resolved to conduct self evaluation regarding over the next 30 days which begun on March 6 and concluding on April 6, where after the party will hold a consultative meeting on April 6, 2025, to discuss the findings and find the way forward.
Kiirya said if the party’s findings recommends termination of the agreement, Mao will be expected to resign as the minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
“It’s not true that the DP president is going to resign, but the resignation will come through from a decision made by the party to ether terminate the agreement or not,” Kiirya said.
The controversial DP-NRM agreement was signed in July 2022 between DP President Nobert Mao and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, at State House Nakaseero. The agreement witnessed by the two parties Secretary Generals; Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong and Hon. Gerald Siranda Blacks aimed to fostering constitutionalism, electoral reforms, human rights and political transition in Uganda. It will expire in January 2026.
However, DP members have expressed frustration over what they perceive as a lack of commitment from the NRM in implementing the agreement, prompting calls for its termination.
