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The National Unity Platform-NUP, the leading opposition political party, has asked the Inter-party Organisation for Dialogue-IPOD to allow Dr Lina Zedriga Waru, the acting party president, to sign the Memorandum of Understanding-MOU admitting the party to IPOD.In a June 18th letter, the party Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, said they were ready to formally join IPOD even in the absence of the party president, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.“I write to formally express the National Unity Platform’s interest in joining the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue and signing the Memorandum of Understanding thereof. As stated in our previous correspondence, the Party is committed to the principles, objectives, and obligations of IPOD as contained in the MOU. Regarding the execution of the admission instruments, please note that the substantive President of the Party is out of the country. In his absence and in accordance with our Party Constitution, the Acting President, Dr. Lina Zedriga Waru, is duly mandated to carry out all functions of the office of Party President, including executing the said instruments. She is readily available to do the same,” Rubongoya’s letter reads in part.His letter follows another letter written last week by the IPOD Executive Director, Dr Lawrence Sserwambala Kabagabe, to NUP informing them that the Council of Secretaries General had accepted NUP’s request to join IPOD. Sserwambala, however, noted that for this to happen, NUP had to formally write requesting to join.“During its deliberations, the Council noted that, whereas the Party has publicly expressed interest in joining IPOD, the Secretariat has not received any explicit and formal written expression of interest but a writing that subtly conjectures the same from the party…Notwithstanding the foregoing, and in recognition of the importance of broadening inclusive inter-party dialogue in Uganda, the Council resolved to forward and recommend, in principle, the admission of the National Unity Platform into IPOD, subject to the submission of a formal written expression of interest to the Secretariat,” Sserwambala’s letter reads in part.It added that after receiving the letter of expression of interest, NUP will be formally admitted to IPOD in the forthcoming IPOD summit, where they expect Kyagulanyi himself to sign the MOU.“In accordance with the IPOD Memorandum of Understanding, the Council expects that the President of the party, in the presence of the Secretary General, and not any delegated representative, shall personally execute the admission instruments and commit the Party to the principles, objectives, and obligations of IPOD during the signing ceremony.The Secretariat, therefore, requests the National Unity Platform to act on the aforementioned matters at the earliest convenience to facilitate the necessary preparations for the admission ceremony at the Summit,” Sserwambala’s letter reads in part.In his communication, Rubongoya attached a letter written by Kyagulanyi extending for one month the mandate of Dr Zedriga as the acting party president.Following the January 2026 general election, Kyagulanyi left the country for the United States of America after he allegedly received threats to his life. NUP had in the past said that they would never join IPOD as it had been turned into a tool to legitimize NRM and Museveni’s 40-year-old rule.However, last year it had a change of mind after an amendment to the Political Parties and Organizations Act, which predicated political party funding on membership of IPOD.In an instant, NUP lost the Shs 5billion that it was receiving every year from the Electoral Commission. The money that parties receive depends on the number of Members of Parliament they have. NRM historically has had the lion’s share of the money because of their absolute majority in parliament.GOT A HOT STORY? EMAIL: redpeppertips@gmail.com WITH AS MUCH EVIDENCE AS POSSIBLE.SOURCE PROTECTION/CONFIDENTIALITY IS OUR NO.1 PRIORITY.About Post Author
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