The Democratic Party (DP) has officially picked presidential nomination forms for its president, Norbert Mao, ahead of the 2026 general elections, rejecting claims that its cooperation agreement with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) amounts to a merger.
On Monday, DP Secretary General Gerald Siranda collected the forms at the Electoral Commission headquarters in Kampala on behalf of the party.
He said the decision followed resolutions by party delegates and affirmed that DP remains an independent political entity.
“The agreement is not a merger. Todwong came here for NRM, we are here as DP. We are a separate party,” Siranda said, referring to NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong.
Siranda emphasized that DP continues to run its own internal processes, including fielding candidates in the upcoming elections.
“Why didn’t you ask in Mbarara when we had a delegates’ conference why we have it? We run our processes. This is a decision of the delegates, and our clarion call is to transcend,” he explained.
According to Siranda, the 2022 cooperation agreement with NRM is aimed at managing political transition in Uganda, not dissolving DP into the ruling party.
He noted that Uganda’s political realities require engagement with President Museveni and the NRM rather than outright exclusion.
“You can’t talk about transition without President Museveni and NRM. They are part of the process, and we need them in the engagement. You can’t talk about the new Uganda without President Museveni,” Siranda said.
He drew comparisons with political transitions in other African countries, where outgoing leaders played central roles.
“In Kenya, they needed Moi around for transition. Zimbabwe needed Mugabe. South Sudan needed Garang and Bashir in the same room. Transition can’t be achieved alone by the ballot,” he said.
Siranda described DP’s participation in the 2026 elections as part of a national effort to mobilize Ugandans for what he called a “crusade” for political transition.
The development comes as more presidential aspirants pick nomination forms from the Electoral Commission, signaling the start of a highly contested race toward the 2026 polls.