Former presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye has said he will not vie for the position of Uganda’s main opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president again.
Kizza Besigye said: “I don’t support it and if changed, I’ll never run 4 FDC president!”
Besigye was responding to an NTV poll about the move by some FDC members to amend the party constitution to allow former leaders return and vie for top positions after setting November 2 for election of new leadership.
There are reports that the FDC party’s big wigs are planning to amend its constitution by change clauses in the constitution to allow former FDC leaders like the founding president, Dr Kizza Besigye have another go at leadership positions within the party which critics say is detrimental to the spirit of democratic change of leadership within the party.
But the four-time loser to President Yoweri Museveni has taken to twitter to deny any knowledge of the proposed amendment.
I’ve heard this for first time on NTV! I don’t support it & if changed, I’ll never run 4 FDC president! @ntvuganda https://t.co/1nb2fPJ2Kg
— Kifefe Kizza-Besigye (@kizzabesigye1) February 8, 2017
I support term limits for FDC (only party with) & for Uganda. Can’t support change of constitution! @VillageBelle256 https://t.co/egnfHdEwFV
— Kifefe Kizza-Besigye (@kizzabesigye1) February 8, 2017
But FDC’s spokesman and Kira Municipality Member of Parliament of Uganda Semujju Nganda said: “Let me tell you, the day the FDC will change its constitution to allow some people to cling on, that will be the end of the party.”
Asked if he would support the paving way for people like Besigye to return as FDC president, Rukungiri Municipality MP Roland Kaginda said: “Well, yeah.
“Majority of these people are still energetic.”
Buhweju Member of Parliament, Francis Mwijukye also told NTV that: “They (former leaders) understand clearly how the party begun. About how the party was started – majority of the new leaders will not appreciate it like the old one.”
On January 23rd while addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi, the opposition party’s deputy secretary general, Mr Harold Kaija, said the current FDC president, Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu’s, term will expire on November 22.
He said nomination of the party president will take place on August 14 and 15 while open campaign will kick off on the 17 and end on 31 of the same month.
Mr Kaija said the party will then hold a delegates conference on November 2 to elect the new FDC president who will be sworn in on November 3.
Gen Muntu succeeded Dr. Besigye, on November 22, 2012 after attaining 393 votes to beat his closest rival Nandala Mafabi, who was second with 361 ballots during the party elections. Tororo County MP Geoffrey Ekanya came third with 17 votes.
This was Gen Muntu’s second attempt at the party’s presidency. In 2008, he contested for the party presidency but lost to Dr Besigye.
FDC allows an individual to contest for this position for only two terms. Thus if Muntu is still interested in the party presidency, he is still eligible under the party constitution.
He said: “That exercise is starting in July and then ends in November so there a lot of time for whoever wants or not to run including myself. Right now, I am still building and strengthening the party such as the exercise for EALA and party mobilisation campaigns.”
Author: stephenmuneza@gmail.com, +256772544870 or Twitter @stephenkmuneza
