On January 2, the outspoken Democratic Party (DP) president Norbert Mao acknowledged that there is need for a political dialogue between opposition parties and the ruling regime.
His statement came a day after the powerful opposition kingpin Col Kizza Besigye dismissed suggestions of dialoguing with President Yoweri Museveni saying, “They weren’t ready to sympathise with a cable of dictatorship.”
Mao’s communication was seen as a contradiction particularly by Besigye’s cohort who believe his opinion represents the entire opposition.
But this is not the first time Mao openly disagrees with Kizza Besigye, in fact in 2015 during the heat of presidential election, Mao was against the candidature of Besigye as opposition sat to choose a joint presidential candidate.
Mao has ever been embroiled in a bitter exchange with Besigye accusing him of plotting to split DP as using his activism to woo radical DP members.
Impressing M7?
A top politician close to Mao who wished to remain unnamed so as to speak freely told TrumpetNews that Mao publicly opposes Besigye as a means of impressing his rival President Museveni who at one point arranged to meet him but later retracted.
“Opposing Besigye who is Museveni’s top challenger and then proposing a dialogue, Mao is always calculating to win favours of the President. He thinks that by the help of facilitators opposition could have talks with Museveni and he can be able to meet him,” this politician claim.
However TrumpetNews couldn’t independently verify this assertion.
To defend his claim, the politician asked why Mao is no longer as assertive as he used to be to govenment.
Defection
This politician further revealed to this website how Norbert Mao sometime last year had finalized his plans to defect to NRM only to change mind on the last minute.
Some years back, Mao collapsed while at his upcountry home in Gulu and it took the intervention of sacked UPDF commander Gen Katumba Wamala who sent to chopper that immediately rushed him to Nairobi Hospital.
Later his health deteriorated and was again taken to IHK hospital here in Kampala and was government that footed the bills.
Upon healing Mao approached deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah asking him to arrange a meeting with Museveni so as to extend his appreciation.
“Indeed Oulanyah told Museveni aides to arrange with the President,” a source said.
Because Mao is big fish Museveni had scheduled to fly to Ethiopia for an official duty but cancelled.
“He stayed at State House Entebbe with Oulanyah and waited for Mao to arrive,” a source said. The meeting was supposed to start at 10am.
A visibly impatient Museveni waited until afternoon and Mao was a no show.
This prompted Oulanyah to call his phone and it was switched off.
Museveni then ordered his boys in security to hunt for Mao in Kampala, “they searched everywhere but couldn’t find him.”
Oulanyah is very close to Mao and knowing that much, he then called a close friend of Mao in Gulu using a different phone number and asked if the DP hocho was upcountry.
“Indeed he was in Gulu hiding. Oulanyah then asked why he would betray him in front of the President Mao had nothing to say.”
The deputy Speaker asked if he would send a chopper to pick him but Mao said he had thought about meeting Museveni and realised he would have betrayed his fellows in DP.
An irritated Museveni vowed never to meet Mao as long as they are both alive.
A source said Mao wanted financial assistance from the President since he has no source of income. In fact we are told that he depends on handouts from his junior Hon Mukasa Mbidde.
A source said that until today Mao regrets why he didn’t show up at State House, his efforts of meeting the NRM chairman until today are still unsuccessful.