The Forum for Democratic Change(FDC) has reshuffled members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), dropping over 20 senior party officials. Majority of those dropped, mostly the youth, are believed to be loyal to former FDC president, Gen Mugisha Muntu, who has since left the party.
During Friday’s special national council sitting held at FDC headquarters, the party president, Patrick Amuriat, appointed Yusuf Nsibambi,the chairman, Kampala Land Board, as the party Electoral Commission boss,replacing Dan Mugarura. Nsibambi is deputised by Toterebuka Bamwenda. Others dropped include Alice Alaso, the former party secretary general.
She was replaced by Kevinah Taaka as deputy president for eastern region. Busongora north MP William Nzoghu replaced Patrick Baguma asdeputy president for western region. Alaso, in October, announced that she had quit FDC and joined Muntu’s new pressure group, the New Formation.
Kassiano Wadri, the Arua Municipality MP, was dropped as deputy mobiliser for northern Uganda and replaced by Obongi County MP, Hassan Kaps Fungaroo. John Kikonyogo was reinstated as deputy spokesperson, replacing the Jinja Municipality MP, Paul Mwiru. Kikonyogo fell out with the party in 2015 after FDC failed to organise primaries to choose between him and Joyce Ssebugwawo, the vice-president of Buganda region, for the Rubaga Mayoral contest.
He contested as an independent and lost to Ssebugwawo.Amuriat also appointed new commissioners, who include Judith Kabanda, Priscilla Mpirirwe and Akim Molli. The party also recruited new members and appointed them in different capacities, such as Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde, who was appointed the deputy legal secretary. Warid Mulindwa, who has been the deputy national youth leader, is now the chairman, replacing Umar Iddi. Iddi has threatened to go to court to challenge the move. He argued that the national council did not have powers to reshuffle them.
“I still have a running contract, expiring in 2020. So, what they did was illegal and we shall sort this out in court. True, I support Muntu, but it is not a crime,” Iddi said.
For mobilisation tasks, FDC appointed Rajjab Kaaya for thecentral region, replacing Mukalazi Kibuuka. Meanwhile, FDC former president DrKizza Besigye has accused opposition parties of using Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine to weaken the party. Besigye said some of the parties are envious of FDC’s strength since it is just a decade old and already dominating the opposition.
“These people, especially members of the Democratic Party(DP), think that FDC should not be heading the opposition parties. That is why they are using Bobi Wine to frustrate the party’s efforts of liberating this country,” he said.
Besigye made the remarks at Najjanankumbi on Friday. The party also banned members from using the red berrets, round caps and the dress code, popularly used by Bobi Wine’s ‘People Power’ pressure group.
“These people want to weaken FDC to take over the leadership of the opposition in parliament,” Besigye stressed.
He said these opposition parties were fighting FDC through backing candidates that have been rejected by the party.
“Like the recent by-elections, held, they have used the popularity of ‘People power’ to frustrate the party,” he added.
Besigye warned that this move will condemn Ugandans to the captivity of President Yoweri Museveni’s regime.
He, however, noted that they were friends with Bobi Wine and that he likes his strength and commitment in the struggle to topple the current regime. Speaking about the proposed national dialogue, Besigye said it is only acceptable when the discussion is about how the sitting president is giving way and preparing for transition.
“We cannot pretend to be having a dialogue when the government is lawless. The lawlessness in the government is undermining the environment that will be vital for constructive dialogue,” he said.