FDC presidential debate: Candidates divided on party ideology

Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidates are strongly divided on whether the party should be run on the ideology of defiance or not.

While the three candidates in the race believe defiance can be deliberately used alongside the motivation and organization strategy, Eng Patrick Oboi Amuriat says when elected into power, he will use defiance to run the party.

At the Nsambya Sharing Hall, it was a mixture of blue and red, the combination of the FDC party color and the new found commitment to Togikwatako campaign.

Party presidential candidates; Dan Matsiko, Gen. Mugisha Muntu, Patrick Oboi Amuriat and Moses Byamugisha were in the hall for a debate meant to project their party as one that can be trusted for its working structures, maturity and transparency.

The group was queried on various issues relating to internal structures, national and foreign affairs.

With the party internally divided between two approaches of defiance and organizational structures, the candidates were divided when queried on what strategy they found best suitable for the party members’ aspirations going forward.

Patrick Oboi Amuriat (POA), one of the presidential candidates strongly maintained that according to him, FDC can only run on the strategy of defiance. ‘I believe that those who are advancing the school of thought of mobilization and organization miss the point in the fact that it cannot stand as a strategy and so the FDC under POA presidency will have defiance as the strategy.’

On the contrary his top contender Gregory Mugisha Muntu differs, saying all parties worldwide have got different tendencies/ideologies, and that all they need capability among the leaders to manage those different fronts to avert any conflict.

Muntu adds; ‘The reason for conflict is that some leaders refuse that you can have different tendencies and use them for the common good. They were also divided on how best the proposal to lift the age limit should be addressed in the wake of a possibility of the people’s will being overrun by state power.’

The youngest contender Byamugisha Moses seems to agree with Muntu saying running the party on two fronts is more intentional because the two ideologies address different situation. ‘One thing members should know is that as agents of change there’re things we cannot do in the organizational structures of the Najjanankubi offices.’

Gen. Muntu believes that by amicably running the two ideologies most of the current contradictions in the party will be addressed, winning the party more public trust.

“When we mature in handling internal contradictions, to the extent that disagreements can be resolved amicably and we keep moving, we gain trust from the population and with this we’ll attract more members.’

They were also divided on how best the proposal to lift the age limit should be addressed in the wake of a possibility of the people’s will being overrun by state power.

Patrick OA:  - ‘If not passed far much the better but should it be passed; this is to sound a warning that we will not rest until we restore this article.’

Gen. Muntu: - ‘Therefore those of us in the opposition those who want to see change in this country, we must not lose sight of getting better and better organized which ever method we use.’

Dan Matsiko, the most comical and evasive with question in a rather loud voice as though to give emphasis says; ‘ I’ve made a team that operates under cover and as I told you we will not massage nor baby sit these rebels who captured power.’

However, the candidates agreed that in order to address Uganda’s current security situation, there is need to re-empower institutions within the justice law and order sector alongside complete restructuring of some of them.

Muntu – ‘For people to live in a country where they feel secure, investment should be made towards the law and order sector but focus on areas that target individual security rather than state security.’

PATRICK OA – ‘Restructure the police force, get out illegal militias, the kifesis who are gun totting today yet they are the source of insecurity’

MOSES BYAMUGISHA – ‘Ugandans and the population generally in our communities have withdrawn from cooperating with police because police has demonstrably come out to side with the regime’

Four members are contesting for the seat, with the major race thought to be between incumbent Mugisha Muntu and Patrick Amuriat.

Different dignitaries graced the function from the FDC including the leader of opposition in parliament Winnie Kiiza alongside other FDC MPs and the party Chairperson Waswa Birigwa and other political party members such as DPs Mukasa Mbide and Lukyamuzi but above them all were the aspirants for the party’s top position. Maggie Kigozi