Why Mbabazi disagreed with TDA

Kampala, Saturday. Presidential aspirant Amama Mbabazi has disagreed with The Democratic Alliance (TDA) on their proposed size of cabinet and formation of a transitional government, if the Opposition wins the 2016 elections.

Mr Mbabazi told the TDA members on Thursday that there is no justification to form a transitional leadership after the elections when the country is under democratic dispensation and can have a substantive government with an elected president.

According to insider sources who attended the Thursday TDA closed-door meeting, Mr Mbabazi argued that a transitional government is created in situations of emergency such as after a coup or a war.

Article 12(36) of TDA Protocol states: “Upon winning power, the Alliance shall establish a Transitional Government of National Unity (TGNU), which shall serve for a period not exceeding five years.”

The immediate goals of the TGNU over the transition period are to undertake appropriate political and electoral reforms as well as reorganise and rebuild state institutions and cut down the size of government.

“He doesn’t have a problem with the five years, he sees himself playing the role George Washington played in the USA or Nelson Mandela in South Africa. His point of departure is that the idea of a transitional government doesn’t arise because we have a democratic dispensation, at least under our legal framework. Transitional governments ordinarily arise in circumstances such as a coup,” a highly placed source, who attended the TDA meeting, quoted Mr Mbabazi as saying.

The source further said Mr Mbabazi disagreed on the TDA’s proposed size of government on account that it would essentially return the country to what he termed “Musevenism”.

On the size of government, the TDA Protocol states: “The Cabinet under the Transitional Government of National Unity shall be comprised of not more than 21 ministers and 21 state ministers. (AFP)