Members of the UPC national council have unanimously moved a motion for a resolution to remove Olara Otunnu as the party President.
At a meeting called by the party members of Parliament at Lugogo Oasis mall on Friday, the over 250 council members resolved to act on what they called 12 grounds to remove Otunnu.
The party members say Otunnu failed to relentlessly spearhead efficiency, transparency and accountable in governance as well as develop young men and women in leadership roles.
They also claim Otunnu has failed to resolve internal conflicts within the party especially between himself and other party officials, adding that he failed to vote during the presidential, Parliamentary and local government elections in 2011, which, resulted into grave consequences for party candidates.
They also argue that Otunnu has dismissed top party officials without due or any consultation with party organs at the district and constituency levels.
The meeting jointly chaired by Betty Amongin, the UPC Parliamentary chief whip and Patrick Mwondha called for support of the motion which it received unanimously.
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The meeting was attended by members who were also present at the pro Otunnu meeting at Christ the King on Monday this week.
They described UPC as an accident waiting to happen and bleeding under the leadership of Otunnu. They questioned how the party President spent 470 million shillings in last year’s elections yet he failed to extend support worth two million shillings to each candidate as promised.
Those who supported his return and take of leadership apologized for their actions and called on the young members of the party to choose a leader who will propel the party.
Joel Aliro Omara, chairman of the UPC Human rights commission advised the members that the only way they can remove Otunnu as party president is if half of the delegates’ conference signs a petition.
Article 13 (3) of the 2008 UPC constitution states that the Party President shall call a special delegates conference when petitioned by half of all members in the conference who shall state precisely in the petition the matters to be discussed and the motions if any to be tabled or passed.
The four fired officials of the party including Maj. Edward Rurangaranga, David Pulkol, John Odit and Moses Nuwagaba maintained their allegiance to the party and vehemently denied spending the donor money given to the party by Deepening Democracy Programme.
Odit explains that the period within which the donors asked them to account for the 104 million shillings to carry out party programmes is due on January 15th 2012.
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The party Vice President Joseph Bossa this week told URN that Otunnu’s disagreements with the four officials stemmed from misuse of the money.
Otunnu declined to comment on the meeting saying he was in another meeting. But Bossa says the 1971 constitution under which the party is operating does not give members a right to petition the party president to call for a delegate’s conference.
Friday’s meeting was attended by members from Teso, Karamoja, Sebei, Lango, Bunyoro, Tooro, Ankole, Buganda and Kigezi regions. However, Acholi leaders said they were not comfortable attending the meeting.
