I pick a pen and paper to write to the nine million members of the ruling NRM, one, because I m not in position to reach out to all of them physically.

Secondly, apart from the fact that I subscribe to NRM, it is also the party in which the patron of the Global Pan African Movement- President Yoweri Museveni belongs. President Museveni hosted the seventh Pan African Congress in 1994 in Kampala.

From July 21, to early September, an estimated nine million members of the NRM will be electing their leaders from the grassroots right up to national level. NRM being a mass party, it goes without saying that the challenges ahead of the NRM elections body are quite enormous.

The successes of these elections will automatically translate into popularity for the party in the forth-coming general elections at all levels.

But if the internal elections are a repeat of the just-ended NRM delegates' conference that was held in Namboole and which was marred by numerous voices of dissatisfaction, then the party is likely to end with many of its members opting to run as independents vying to challenge the party-endorsed candidates.

It is important for all NRM members not only to understand that the country and indeed the international community expects a lot from this party that has brought stability in Uganda for over two decades and has the highest number of delegates that constitute its national conference in Africa.

Therefore in order to able to live up to these expectations, every member must be prepared to play a role or two in as far as ensuring that this internal democratization process is concerned.

This important exercise must not be left to the party electoral machinery alone. It's the duty of the cadres to sensitize and encourage all party members to turn up in large numbers for this exercise.

However, the party must make sure it steers clear of election malpractices. Already there are signs that vote rigging is underway.

 Indeed in many districts, it is an open secret that some district party registrars are holding secret meetings in the cover of darkness in order to rig out some party candidates. Such cases should not be taken lightly.

 We must remember that one isolated incident can end up tarnishing the reputation of the whole electoral process.

Vote rigging in the party primaries can be stopped if all the members are vigilant and monitor the electoral process for and on behalf of the party election's body.

The fact that the party has now adopted the universal suffrage as opposed to the electoral colleges as the way of selecting flag bearers at all levels, if members are not careful, means that the opposition might use this opportunity to fail strong NRM candidates in the primaries.

Therefore it's a noble responsibility of the members to identify their true colleagues. This is a defining moment where party members are going to be separated from party pretenders.

This is the time members should not ask what the party has done for them but ask how best they can serve the party.

Its time NRM party members stood together irrespective of their differences to save the nation.

Former Tanzanian leader Mwalim Julius Nyerere once said, Bila chama tawala madhubut, nchi itayumbayumba, which means without a strong ruling party, the country staggers.

The success of NRM is indirectly the success of this country.

The author is a teacher and journalist blog comments powered by Disqus

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