Democratic Party (DP) President-General Norbert Mao has written to National Resistance Movement (NRM) Chairman President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, seeking formal discussion of his bid for Speaker of Parliament at the upcoming NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) and Parliamentary Caucus meetings.

In the letter, Mao is asking the ruling party to consider his candidature as part of ongoing cooperation between the NRM and DP.

The two parties signed a landmark cooperation agreement on 20 July 2022 at State House, Entebbe. The deal, signed by the respective Secretaries General — Richard Todwong for the NRM and Gerald Siranda for the DP — contains 42 clauses aimed at promoting political power-sharing, constitutionalism, and respect for human rights.

The agreement facilitated Mao’s appointment as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Siranda’s election as a Member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

This is not the first instance of cooperation between the NRM and DP.

Following the 1986 NRA liberation struggle, approximately 60% of Uganda’s Cabinet positions were occupied by Democratic Party members.

Among them was the late DP President-General Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, who served as Minister of Internal Affairs (1986–1988), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1988–1994), Minister of Public Service (1994–1995), and Deputy Prime Minister in President Museveni’s broad-based government.

The development comes as Parliament prepares to elect a new Speaker, with Mao emerging as a potential contender backed by the opposition DP under its cooperation pact with the ruling party.