Uganda Government News: Ojara dismisses NRM cross over allegations

The district Chairman of Gulu,Martin Ojara Mapinduzi has come under attack from a section of members of the Forum for Democratic Party in the district accusing him of allegedly switching allegiance to the National Resistance Movement party.

 Ojara, formerly the district council speaker, was elected the district chairperson in the February 2011 elections as the FDC candidate. He defeated the late Col Walter Ochora who stood on NRM ticket. Prior to his election to the district seat, Ojara was also elected the FDC district chairperson.
 
But hardly a year in office, Ojara has come under attack from his fellow FDC party members who allege that he has been sighted in several meetings with members of the NRM party, a fact they say is causing them worry of losing their leader.
 
Owen Chris Okoya, the LC5 councilor for Palaro Sub County is heading the group who are demanding that Ojara should resign his FDC district chairperson’s seat over the allegations.
 
Okoya, who is also the FDC chairperson for Aswa County, says that they have so far collected 42 signatures to force Ojara out. He explained that they have also sent a petition to the FDC headquarters highlighting their grievances that include complaints that Ojara has failed to effectively coordinate the party activities.

The FDC members also accuse the district chairperson of failing to organize by-elections to fill existing leadership gaps in the party at the grass root level.

When contacted, Ojara, however, laughed off the accusations calling them baseless. He said he is both the FDC and the district chairperson and has to serve and meet anyone in the district irrespective of their political affiliation.

Ojara described the demand by his party members as egocentric adding that they would not divert him from doing what is legally his duty.
 
He admitted that while the by elections have taken long, it is the duty of the party electoral commission to conduct the elections and not himself. Ojara explained that without the election of people to fill the existing leadership gaps, it is not possible to convene any meeting of the party in the district.