Prime
Otunnu, Akena clash at press briefing
Mr Otunnu and Mr Akena
UPC president Olara Otunnu last night affirmed that Mr Jimmy Akena is a party member of “good standing” hours after the Lira Municipality MP confronted him during a press conference at Uganda House. An enraged Akena, who in March 2010 lost the contest to lead UPC to the former UN diplomat, charged toward Mr Otunnu after the latter referred to him as a non-member of UPC.
“We confine [asking] questions to only members of the press because this is a press briefing,” the UPC leader said when the MP became the first to raise his hand to ask a question. Mr Akena interjected, saying: “We are party members (yet) I’m being attacked”.
Already some of his charged colleagues were making random noise. Mr Otunnu continued: “I was the one who made the exception and allowed you, even though you are not a member of the party, to ask your questions.” Witnesses said Mr Akena immediately sprang to his feet and dashed towards Mr Otunnu - but was restrained by other party officials.
He told Daily Monitor last night that Mr Otunnu’s declaration was “unconstitutional” and he did not understand why they want him out “through the backdoor”. “I value my membership of the UPC. So I just cannot allow anyone sit smartly there and say I am not a member of the party.” Mr Akena said.
The true weakness of UPC under Mr Otunnu, he said, is that the party now lacks direction. In a telephone interview last night, the ex-UN under-secretary said his reference that incensed Mr Akena, son of former President and UPC leader Milton Obote, was “complete slip of the tongue”.
Mr Otunnu said he meant to say Mr Akena is not a member of the press, but accidentally said the party. It is understood the MP was inspired to confront the UPC president after official allegations that he is working through an NRM-fronted pressure group to destabilise the opposition party.
Odit’s letter
The UPC Secretary General, Mr John Odit, on July 11, wrote to board chairman of Milton Obote Foundation (MOF), the commercial arm of the party, comparing Mr Akena to defector Badru Wegulo “who is no longer a member of the party”.
Mr Odit’s letter said Mr Akena had become “a tool for fighting and weakening the party” and the board should look at these “serious” accusations and take appropriate action.
That decision is still pending, Mr Otunu told journalists at yesterday’s press conference organised to clarify that the MP had neither been expelled from the board where he is a member, nor from the party itself.
Both Mr Otunnu and Mr Akena said they are fighting no personal wars. Democratic reform and fairness within the party is most paramount, according to the Lira Municipality MP, who had earlier declared an “open war” with the present UPC leaders.
“I have no regrets for what happened,” he said in reference to yesterday’s confrontation. The allegation that UPC has lost direction is unfounded, said Mr Otunnu. He listed as his achievements the existence of a fully functional party structures; re-uniting different factions and elimination of costly litigation by dissenting party members. Mr Akena should raise his concerns through established party organs such as the General Assembly, National Council and National Executive Committee, he suggested.
