Democratic Party President Norbert Mao has criticized the performance of the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) in the last five years.
Mao said the group, an umbrella for members of parliament from the Acholi sub region did not come out strongly to bring to government and public attention the challenges affecting the Acholi people.
Mao said the 9th parliament, the voices of Acholi people have went quite.
The DP President was on Monday addressing a rally at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu town.
‘‘This time round I believe the Acholi parliamentary group should be strong,’’ said Mao who is a former Chairman of the umbrella grouping.
In the 9th parliament, the Acholi Parliamentary Group whose membership was mostly from the Forum for Democratic Change lost their seats with the ruling NRM party gaining some seats in a hitherto hostile Acholi.
In the recent parliamentary elections, the FDC gained back most of the seats it had lost in the last elections, with the Democratic Party taking two seats in Acholi.
According to Mao, the defeat of the NRM provides an important opportunity for the Acholi parliamentary group to re-organise and work for an Acholi agenda. He cited the major issues as protection of land rights; post conflict recovery; compensation of cattle claimants; payments for veterans; elevation of Gulu to city status and for the railway to once more become operation in Gulu to easy transport and boost production. The DP president said it is the responsibility of the new leaders to push for this issues.
Mao welcomed the reelection of Prof Ogenga Latigo saying the former leader of Opposition in parliament offers strong leadership for Acholi.
The Acholi Parliamentary Group was formed in 2001 as “solid force” to engage the government to respond to the needs of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), who were at the time displaced by conflict between the Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government.
The group gained momentum and reputation during the war and became a strong local and national force with a global reputation. But it was a shadow of its former self in the 9th parliament. The reelection of the opposition candidates in the Acholi sub region has raised hopes that the group could become robust again.
Reagan Okumu, the Aswa County Member Of Parliament and Forum for Democratic Change Vice President for northern Uganda is the current Chair of APG.
Kilak County Member of Parliament Gilbert Olanya is the groups Secretary General. Olanya has in the past said that APG seldom holds meetings to discuss issues affecting the Acholi sub region.
Okumu, however, says APG was weak because of the performance of the members who he said hardly raise issues on the floor of parliament.
