Who is walking away with Mugisha Muntu?

On Thursday, only a few days after announcing his exit from party, former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president, Maj. Gen.Mugisha Muntu unveiled his new political group at a function held at Hotel Africana in Kampala.

Named the ‘New Formation’, Muntu said he would announce the full details of his political group before Christmas.

“We hope to launch the new formation before December 25, 2018 and we are calling upon all like thinking Ugandans to join us,” he noted before adding that no single party can rescue the country from the dangerous path it is treading on because the political space is shrinking day by day as well as the patience of Ugandans.

Muntu said he had decided to exit the biggest opposition party not because he was power hungry but because he felt his ideas could not accommodated within the party as they directly crushed with those of the party president, Patrick Amuriat.

“We fought each pther to a state of paralysis within the party. We had failed to reconcile the two different strategies and our instability as FDC would be instability of the whole opposition,”Muntu said in reference to a situation where he has always walked parallel lines with many other FDC members including party president Patrick Amuriat in regards the defiance campaign started by Dr.Kizza Besigye.

“FDC now has an opportunity to do everything they wanted to do.”

MPs

As early as 8am, visitors had started arriving at Hotel African for the function and were being received by among others FDC youth wing member, Zeridah Kakaayi and other youths from the opposition party.

FDC Deputy President for Eastern region Alice Alaso who was described as the convener of the function and was in charge of all preparations.

Meanwhile, a few minutes to 10am, several Members of Parliament started arriving for the function before being led to front seats by Alaso.

Among the MPs from the opposition, NRM and independents who graced the function included; Gerard Karuhanga(Independent), Paul Mwiru,(FDC)Anna Adeke(Independent), Elijah Okupa(FDC),Angelina Osege(FDC),Simon Oyet(FDC), Herbert Ariku(FDC),Winnie Kiiza(FDC), Gafa Mbwatekamwa(NRM) and John Baptist Nambeshe(NRM).

There were several district LC5 chairpersons or their representatives present at the function and among them was Gulu’s Ojara Mapenduzi from FDC.

Other people present at the function included former controversial aide to former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, Christopher Aine, former FDC electoral commission chairman Dan Mugarura and several members of the FDC National Executive Committee and youth executive members.

Others were KCCA councillors mostly from the opposition.

Most of these always cheered and clapped as Muntu explained how the new political group would be operating.

Both Muntu and Alaso described the politicians who had come for the function as guests and well-wishers.

Muntu insisted that none of them had been coerced or manipulated and anybody willing to join him is free to do so.

Quoting the constitution, the former FDC president noted that Members of Parliament are not allowed to change parties before the elapse of their term.

Article 83 (1)(g) of the Constitution says if a Member of Parliament leaves the political party for which they stood for election to join another party or remain in parliament as an independent, they vacate the seat in Parliament.

According to Muntu, FDC are not his enemies but his allies in the struggle to oust president Museveni from power.

“Our commitment to a united opposition is more real and we shall keep our dialogue real,” he noted adding that his group would work with all opposition parties in their quest for regime change.

Speaking to Nile Post shortly after the event, FDC deputy spokesperson, Paul Mwiru said there was no harm in attending the function to listen to Muntu’s ideas and what he has to offer.

“We can’t be dismissive of each other.We had to come, listen in and digest what he was saying. We are now going to think about what he said and see the way forward,”Mwiru said.

FDC Soroti woman MP Angelina Osege said she had not crossed from her party but had to attend and listen to what was being said.

“We have to learn how to relate with others even if you don’t agree,” she said.

Gerard Karuhanga said he hopes for something different from the newly formed political group, away from the usual lies of the politicians.

“We hope for a leadership that is focused on turning around the country and causing real political change with democratic dividends,” he noted.