FDC officials discuss Uganda’s ‘crisis’

KAMPALA.

Current and former leaders of Opposition Forum for Democratic Change on Monday held a closed-door meeting at the party’s headquarters in Najjanankumbi to discuss what they termed as a “crisis” in the country.

In the meeting, the FDC working committee (cabinet) members led by the party president, Maj Gen (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu, were joined by FDC founding members and other senior citizens including the party’s former presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, former Mbarara Municipality MP Winnie Byanyima and former presidential candidate Chapaa Karuhanga, among others.

The meeting, a day after a joint Cabinet retreat by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), comes at a time when the country is awash with discussions of an economic crisis and mounting pressure on the police to stop brutalising Ugandans particularly supporters of Dr Besigye.

“This meeting is about the current crisis in the country,” FDC vice president Reagan Okumu said, adding that “this country is in disarray”.
This is the first major meeting the FDC leadership has held since the controversial February 18 presidential polls.

President Museveni emerged winner with 60 per cent, according to the final results announced by the Electoral Commission, while Dr Besigye came second with 35 per cent. Both the leadership of FDC and Dr Besigye maintain they won the election and have called for an independent audit of the process.

Dr Besigye spent most of the aftermath of the election either in police detention, under house arrest or in prison. He has since been charged with treason and is out on bail. The meeting also discussed a transition from the NRM regime, according to Mr Okumu.
“We read the signs of the times. This regime is no more. It is finished.”

Mr Okumu cited what he termed as an “extreme level of impunity” as one of the signs.
“Where on earth would you see a police vehicle knocking people and running away? Would that happen in Rwanda, Nairobi, South Africa, Europe and the IGP remains? Even the minister would have to resign,” he said.

FDC party spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda described the meeting as “informal” whose decisions will be debated by the party structures.
“We decided to accelerate our struggle of non-violent civil action. We need to do much more than we are doing now,” he said.

Information and ICT minister Frank Tumwebaze dismissed any attempts by FDC to take the country forward.

“There is nothing new from their talk. It’s their usual prophesies of doom about NRM that have never come to pass. Uganda is not in a crisis, it’s their party in a crisis, failing even to agree on what political strategy to take,” Mr Tumwebaze said.
He said the ruling NRM was focused on serving Ugandans in the next five years as they wait to defeat the Opposition in 2021.

“We are busy executing our manifesto. Time to account will be 2021 when jokers will be given their right place at the ballot. Our silence doesn’t mean weakness. We are defined more by actions,” he said.