Grassroots polls widen rift in FDC

The rift in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party that has drawn top leadership apart seemed to degenerate to the lower level yesterday as different districts followed contradicting positions on holding grassroots elections.

On Wednesday, the party electoral commission chairperson, Mr Boniface Toterebuka, issued a roadmap with elections scheduled to commence yesterday at the village and parish levels, and run up to tomorrow (July 23).

Sub-county elections are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, while constituency elections will be conducted on July 31 and August 1 before the district election from August 3 to 6.

Party President Patrick Oboi Amuriat and secretary general Nandala Mafabi have insisted on the elections taking place despite the infighting that has recently rocked the party. This has been bitterly opposed by, among others, the party vice president for Buganda, Erias Lukwago, and spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda. 

The party chairperson, Mr Wasswa Birigwa, also yesterday called for a suspension of the election until the war that has embroiled the party is resolved.

A mini survey conducted by Monitor indicates that while some districts held grassroot elections, others did not. 
Mr Abubaker Maganda, the FDC party chairperson for Jinja District, said they held elections in line with the party EC roadmap, adding that he had been elected treasurer, Jinja Central East Parish. He hopes to retain the district chair.

In Arua City, the party chairperson, Mr Hakim Moli, said, “We have today (Friday) successfully held grassroots elections in the cells of Awindiri, Tanganyika, parts of Oli and in Ayivu West and East. Some will be held tomorrow and Sunday. People have understood the exercise. We had challenges with our members working in government and NGOs, who said they could not contest for positions because of their status where they are employed. So, many of them did not contest for the available positions.”

Asked whether the recent state of affairs has affected the electoral process, Mr Moli said: “It is true some people were confused about it, but it is upon us the leaders to offer explanations to them so that the process cannot be disrupted. That disagreement is by people who have become unpopular and want to advance their own agenda to disrupt the FDC.”

Mr Joram Bintamanya, the FDC chairperson for Fort Portal City, said: “FDC members in Fort Portal do not want the top leadership to involve them in their cliques or fighting. He added that they “will wait for the outcome of the July 28 National Council.”

Elsewhere, FDC party chairpersons from Greater Kabale District in south western Uganda did not conduct elections because they have not been availed with facilitation and registers of the voters are not yet updated.

“There is no way we can conduct elections when our voter registers are not updated, no funds to facilitate the exercise and no clear voting programme. We shall wait until all the above are fulfilled,” the FDC party general secretary for Kabale District, Mr Richard Muhanguzi, said.
Mr Micheal Mbareba, the Rukiga District FDC party chairperson, said although mobilisation for the voting exercise has been ongoing, they await “a resolution from the National Council despite different orders from different power centres at the national headquarters.”

Mr Alex Nkwasibwe, the Rubanda District acting FDC party chairperson, said they could not organise the voting exercise because the officials to man the whole process were never trained.
Mr Joseph Senzoga, the FDC chairperson for Masaka City, and also party secretary for Greater Masaka, said his team followed the guidance of party chairperson Wasswa Birigwa and halted the exercise.
 “It could have been insubordination if at all we went ahead with the elections,” he said.

Mr Yusuf Mutyaba, a youth counsellor at Kiringente  Sub-county in  Mpigi District, said in his area, voters had been asked to wait until a new date was set for elections.

“I am eying the post of party district chairperson and I am going to use this period to reach out to more voters,” Mr Charles Ssekabira, the FDC organising secretary in Kyotera District, said.

Addressing journalists in Kampala yesterday, Mr Birigwa said he was behind the suspension of the elections because the party had not fulfilled the preparatory requirements. He added that no registration has been conducted or party cards issued because there was no budget for the electoral commission.

He, however, said he would, as mandated, present the outcome of the results, if elections happened, to the National Council, which will decide the next course of action.

By Elizabeth Kamurungi, Felix Warom, Alex Ashaba, Robert Muherez,  Obed Kankiriho, Brian Adams Kesiima & Richard Kyanjo.