Ofwono Opondo: NRM members must follow party position on speakership race

Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo has reminded National Resistance Movement (NRM)  members that they must follow party position in the Speakership race.

The NRM announced this week that their candidates for speaker and deputy of the 11th Parliament will be voted for by the party caucus in a secret ballot.

Appearing on NBS Frontline on Thursday evening, Opondo said any NRM member that will be defeated in the ballot should concede defeat no matter how big they think they are.

Opondo argued that, "Let us not turn into turn-coats that we accept the decisions of CEC when it is convenient and favourable to us. We should accept them even when they inconvenience our immediate interests."

"I want to emphasize that the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker will certainly go to the NRM and when that process is concluded, whoever defies it will have an uphill task. Whether Oulanyah or Kadaga or any of the deputy speakership candidates," Opondo warned.

According to the Parliamentary guidelines, any member of parliament is allowed to contest for the office of the Speaker or Deputy. Opondo however said that NRM reserves the right to guide its members in Parliament.

"Not that they don't have a right, I have heard people arguing that CEC doesn't rule Parliament, yes, it doesn't but it guides its members in Parliament."

Opondo said that no one should feel that they are so big and untouchable, because NRM is bigger than any individual.

“The NRM machinery uprooted someone who said he was mahogany, ” Opondo said.

The Central Executive Committee (CEC), which is the top organ of the NRM on Monday sat and decided that all those interested in contesting for the two positions should express interest and later be vetted before elections by the party caucus on Sunday.