Norbert Mao: I would have resigned Parliament seat if Speaker bid got under 10 votes

Democratic Party (DP) president Norbert Mao has disclosed that he had a personal threshold for his Speaker of Parliament bid: anything less than 10 votes would have prompted his resignation from Parliament. Mao, who secured 15 votes in the election, described his participation as a principled stand against fear and political conformity in the heavily NRM-dominated House.

Speaking on the social media platform X after the results were announced, Mao acknowledged the overwhelming numerical advantage of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. However, he emphasized that his campaign was driven by principle rather than the expectation of victory. He recounted a conversation with another Member of Parliament who predicted he would be lucky to receive ten votes due to strict party-line voting. “I put my seat on the line by telling him that if I got less than ten votes I would resign from Parliament,” Mao revealed.

Mao finished third in the race, behind Paul Mwiru of the National Unity Platform (NUP) who received 60 votes, and the NRM candidate Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, who won with 441 votes. The DP leader mentioned that many of his allies had advised him to withdraw from the contest, fearing embarrassment in an environment where the NRM holds a significant majority. “Many counseled me to throw in the towel fearing the outcome of the ballot,” he stated.

Despite the perceived “tyranny of numbers,” Mao asserted that his challenge was not one of numbers but of morality. He believes his candidacy contributed to a national discussion about the image and leadership of Parliament, especially after a period marked by controversies and corruption allegations surrounding the previous House leadership.

“We took up a fight everyone was cowering from and faced attacks from many quarters including from friends blinded by short term considerations,” Mao wrote. He further posited that the collective efforts brought a “gush of fresh air” into Parliament, suggesting his participation helped to alleviate widespread apprehension.

The election for Speaker took place amidst heightened public scrutiny concerning Parliament’s governance and a call for institutional reforms, following a turbulent tenure under former Speaker Anita Among. A total of 519 ballot papers were cast, with no abstentions and three ballots declared spoilt.