By Aggrey BabaThe Democratic Party (DP), has dismissed concerns over Party Vice President Mukasa Mbidde’s decision to back Anita Among instead of party president Norbert Mao in the race for Speaker of the 12th Parliament.The response was made during a press conference at the party headquarters in Mengo, where the women’s league leader, Saral Adong said Mbidde is entitled to his opinion and that the party respects internal differences.She explained that DP has always allowed members to hold divergent views without being punished or pushed out.“Mbidde is entitled to his opinion and the DP is okay with it,” Sarah Adong said, adding that disagreements within the party are not new, only that many were previously handled internally.Mbidde recently publicly declared support for Among, the NRM candidate and incumbent speaker, arguing that DP lacks the numbers in Parliament to push Mao to victory, a position which raised questions about party unity.However, Adong maintained that supporting a different candidate does not mean deserting the party, further noting that DP remains the only political party in Uganda that openly allows freedom of expression among its members. According to her, even she has disagreed with Mao before without facing consequences.She also clarified that Mao announced his speakership bid after being approved by all party organs, but that can’t stop party members from choosing to support candidates of their own choice.Using a metaphor, Adong said one individual can’t frustrate the party’s plans.“You cannot pull one blade of grass from a grass-thatched house and expect it to leak,” she said, insisting that Mao’s bid remains on course.Addressing claims that DP lacks sufficient parliamentary numbers, Adong pointed to Mbidde’s own election to the East African Legislative Assembly at a time when DP had few MPs. She also cited the election of Secretary General Gerald Siranda, saying both victories were secured through negotiation and dialogue rather than numerical strength alone.On allegations that Mao is using the race to negotiate for a ministerial position in President Museveni’s new Cabinet, Adong dismissed the claims as mere speculation meant to attract “TikTok” attention . She said such talk would not stop the party from pursuing its strategy, reaffirming that DP remains confident in Mao’s chances and that internal differences will not derail the party’s participation in the Speaker’s race. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).