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M7 answers Bidandi
6 November 2004
Mr. Bidandi Ssali
Member of the Interim Executive Committee
National Resistance Movement
Kampala
RE: YOUR RESIGNATION AS 2nd VICE CHAIRPERSON OF THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OF NRM
I have received your letter dated 3 November 2004, through which you tendered
your resignation from the office of 2nd vice chairperson of the Interim
Executive Committee (IEC) of NRM. I am now writing to respond to your
resignation and other matters you raised in your letter.
As you know, the NRM is a free organisation in which a member is free to serve
or not at his or her own will. Our organisation is governed by the
Constitution, which requires (under article 71 (c)) that a political
organisation shall conform to democratic principles. This means that you cannot
be compelled to continue to serve in any capacity against your wishes.
I have considered whether or not I have authority as chairperson to accept your
resignation. As you are aware, the IEC is just in the process of laying
foundations for operating in multi-organisations/multi-party set up, so our
rules have not yet provided for this situation. Nevertheless, as chairperson of
the IEC, I am enjoined by section 14 (h) of the NRM constitution to do anything
necessary for the good of the organisation and for the proper implementation of
the principles and policies of NRM. Therefore, I hereby accept your resignation
on behalf of the IEC and shall, at the earliest opportunity, brief the IEC.
On behalf of the organisation, I wish to express our appreciation for the
services you have rendered to the organisation.
Secondly, I must give my opinion on some of the other statements in your
letter. You categorically state that you do not agree with the resolution of
the IEC that binds the organisation to the decisions of the National Executive
Committee and the National Conference of the Movement. That position is not
consistent with your declaration that you still remain a member of NRM and the
IEC. Article 9 (2) (g) of the NRM constitution imposes a duty on all members;
To observe discipline, behave honestly and be loyal to the decisions of the
majority of the members of the organ where a member belongs and to the
decisions of the higher organs within the structures of the NRM. In
addition, paragraph (i) of the same article imposes a duty on all members;
to adhere to the principle that the interests of NRM stand above everything
else, subordinating his or her personal interests to the interests of the NRM
and the nation.
In light of the requirements of our organisation's constitution, I must draw
your attention to your duties as a member of NRM and the IEC. The resolution of
the IEC, which you disassociate with, was reached by a majority in a vote after
open debate in which you participated. I, therefore, call upon you to abide by
the democratic decisions of the organisation and observe the duties of members
as long as you wish to remain a member.
Having dealt with your resignation and your relationship with the IEC
resolutions, I need to deal with the following other erroneous positions in
your letter:
Museveni not laying a firm foundation for the Movement ideas and principles
in perpetuity; Museveni placing emphasis on the use of money and
bragging on how money had consolidated Movement support in
Parliament; how this has undermined the integrity of our MPs in society
and the independence of Parliament; how the IEC never approved the facilitation
of the MPs for explaining the White Paper and how I should not allow the
support for ekisanja to divide the Movement any further.
(I) Foundation for the Movement ideas and principles:
What is amazing, Mr. Bidandi, is how you evolve obviously wrong positions and
you insist so much on those ideas. When we were fighting Idi Amin and the Obote
II dictatorship, I authored the 10-points programme. That document was,
eventually, approved by the combined meeting of the High Command, the Army
Council and the National Resistance Council (NRC) at Kanyaara, Ngoma, Luwero,
in 1984. When we came from the bush, that document was adopted by the rest of
society. It is these principles and ideas that have caused the recovery of
Uganda as well as quite a bit of development. Even the
