The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party President Patrick Oboi Amuriat has said that the opposition party is one that provides free entry and exit, hinting that the ‘few’ leaving the party at the moment are doing so because of their own choices.
Amuriat blamed the media for portraying the party negatively, despite not understanding certain internal matters that have happened within the party.
According to Amuriat, the FDC is not in disarray, and as an organization, it is one that accepts people to come in and once they feel uncomfortable they could make a decision to leave.
“We have this expression of free entry free exit, but we try to dialogue with the members to find out what is the basis for wanting to leave the party. We do not just let them go out, we engage them and make an effort,” he said.
The Party President dismissed reports that many members of parliament have quit the party and more are expected to join those exiting.
“We were promised an exodus of parliamentarians, but so far about 25 members of parliament have picked their forms and returned them. Many more are still picking,” he said.
“We have not given up on anyone as yet, we still expect to pursue Odonga Otto, Abdu Katuntu, Angeline Osege, Paul Mwiru, and the likes, FDC has not given up on those who have left, we shall pursue them and bring them back,” he said.
Amuriat cited that his election into power at the helm of FDC is the reason many are moving out of the party and following Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, whom he trounced.
“Only eight members of parliament supported my candidature, and after we had a new president, they started moving away which was wrong. Some of them started sending statements that they would not cooperate with me,” he said.
He said that many FDC MPs were invited for a talk with the party and persuaded to cooperate with the newly elected leader. He singled out Ssemujju Nganda who accepted dialogue and settled to work with the party once again.
Amuriat’s reign in FDC has overseen the highest number of defections in the party history, with at least 100 people defecting from the party in the Rwenzori region and 500 defecting to NRM from his home village in Ajuket, to mention but a few.
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