The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General, Richard Todwong, has today welcomed hundreds of party historicals as the country gears up for the general elections.
Todwong welcomed the historical figures who served the party under the Movement system before the country shifted to the multi-party system of governance.
"These are senior cadres of the party who served the party under the movement system. They were in the Movement secretariat, many of them retired from service, and very, very energetic and in the communities helping on a voluntary basis," Todwong said.
The SG said the historicals were concerned with what transpired during the party primaries saying as senior leaders, they feel they should come and support the party in harmonising party cadres at the grassroots level.
"They are a force that has formed to just come and support the party, to harmonise our cadreship at the district level, and also to groom the party leaders because many of our leaders at the moment have divergence in ideological appreciation," Todwong states.
"So they feel, from the Movement stock of cadres, they can come and support the current leadership of the party, who are ideologically weak in appreciating the ideals of the revolution."
Todwong said he would brief the party Chairman, H.E. President Yoweri Museveni, about the development for further guidance.
"But I feel we need to use them in many of the areas of the party. These are cadres who joined the party because of conviction. Many of them have a very rich history with the revolution, with the system. And on a voluntary basis, they have sacrificed, and they wouldn't want what they have sacrificed for to go to the drain," Todwong said.
"So they have come to volunteer to support the party, in mobilisation, in conflict resolution, in making sure that our cadres at the various branches, grassroots, understand why they are in leadership, and to refocus them to feel and think for the people."
Petitions.
On the election petitions, Todwong said they were waiting for the verdicts to be announced by the tribunal.
"As we have always said, the party secretariat and the electoral commission of the party do not interfere with the work of the tribunal. These are independent individuals. So we also don't know the results of the tribunal, the results of the hearings," he said.
On his part, the party Director incharge of External Affairs, Maj (Rtd) Pollar Awich thanked the historicals for taking interest in grooming the young party cadres. He added that many youth in the party need to be groomed into future leaders, and these cadres will come in handy to groom the youth.
"Youth, especially those who are taking an interest in leadership, should be groomed by those who understand the system much better. So this is a part of the grooming process that would help us groom the many young people at all levels, at council level, district level, national level," Todwong said.