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Democratic Party President Calls for Dialogue and Reconciliation in Uganda's Opposition Party

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Uganda's Democratic Party (DP) president, Norbert Mao, has urged his members to focus on rebuilding the party after a chaotic delegates' conference that saw him re-elected to lead the opposition party. Ahead of the 2026 general elections, Mr. Mao aims to promote unity within the party, particularly in the critical battleground of Buganda, which contributed over 70% of the party's candidates in the 2021 elections. He emphasized the importance of dialogue and reconciliation, citing the need for the party to focus on the 2026 elections and bridge differences with other parties.

Key Takeaways:

  • Mr. Mao called for dialogue and reconciliation within the Democratic Party, urging members to focus on rebuilding the party ahead of the 2026 general elections.
  • Buganda remains a critical battleground for the DP, contributing over 70% of the party's candidates in the 2021 elections.
  • Mr. Mao emphasized the importance of policy conferences and building bridges with other parties to focus on the 2026 elections.
  • He attributed his victory to the strength of his ideology and firm standing on the party's fundamentals of political transition.
  • Mr. Mao secured 969 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Buikwe South MP Dr. Michael Lulume Bayiga, who garnered 339 votes.
  • The party's leadership election was held on June 2, during the delegates' conference in Mbarara City.
  • Mr. Mao has already reached out to members who instigated chaos during the party delegates' conference.

Statistics:

  • 70%: The percentage of the party's candidates in the 2021 elections contributed by Buganda.
  • 969: The number of votes Mr. Mao secured to defeat his closest challenger.
  • 339: The number of votes secured by Dr. Michael Lulume Bayiga to come in second.
  • 52: The number of votes secured by Elia Alitia to come in third.
  • 2021: The year in which the DP contributed over 70% of its candidates from Buganda.
  • 2026: The year of the next general elections in Uganda.

Sources:

  • "DP President Calls for Dialogue and Reconciliation." The Independent (Uganda), 2023.
  • "Norbert Mao: "We Were Re-elected Because Our Ideas Are Stronger"" The Observer (Uganda).
  • "DP President Mao Re-Elected for Second Term." New Vision (Uganda), June 2, 2023.

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