The UPC delegates conference is expected to take place today, despite a court injunction by the praty president, Olara Otunnu, restraining the holding of the conference.
The conference at Lugogo Indoor Stadium, is expected to attract 400 delegates.
The Oyam North MP James Ayena Odongo, Moroto County MP Benson Obua-Ogwal, Kole County MP Fred Ebil and Apac Woman MP Lucy Ajok , told a press conference on Thursday, that they regret the actions of the Party president.
In another fit of anger, the MPs accused Otunnu, of failing to mobilise party support, reunite supporters and to provide good leadership.
"Otunnu looks out of place like a fish out of water," said the MPs.
Obua-Ogwal, personally apologised for bringing the former UN diplomat back to Uganda to take charge of the party, a move he now says has injured the party unity. He said he now feels a bigger mandate to correct the wrongs his action led the party into.
Referring to his role in Otunnu’s return as a political miscalculation and misjudgment, Obua said even if he appreciates the oratory skills of the UPC president, he now thinks that he has sometimes over exaggerated events in the country.
Ayena Odongo said Otunnu had failed to re-unite Buganda and the party, one of the promises he made while taking over the leadership of the party. He said it was time now for the party to start emphasising more the things that unite the country and not over dwelling on history, some of which he said happened even before Otunnu was born.
Ayena, a lawyer by profession, claimed that the reported Otunnu injunction was a forgery because it was processed by someone who was not properly identified as the High Court Registrar. He however said that even if it was genuine, it would not so much affect them because they are MPs and therefore people’s representatives who are constitutionally allowed to consult their constituents at any time.
Lucy Ajok accused Otunnu of failing to guide party MPs on policies and critical issues that need direction.
The legislators said that the conference would discuss all challenges they have been going through since the last election to find ways of correcting those that could be corrected. They said they wish Otunnu himself could attend in person.
Jimmy Akena, the Lira Municipality MP and an Otunnu critic, did not attend the Press Conference as he was reported to be in South Africa where he accompanied the president as an MP to the celebrations to mark 100 years of the African National Congress – ANC.
Otunnu could not be reached for a comment. The UPC president has been doing what he called a reorganization of the party leadership where top party officials were relieved of their duties and subsequently replaced. Some of the officials who were dismissed include party secretary general John Odit, chief party mobiliser David Pulkol and national chairman Maj. Edward Rurangaranga.
