The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party Spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has said they will not send a representative in Friday’s Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) Summit that will be hosted by President Museveni at the Kololo Independence Grounds.
Ssemujju said that one of the many reasons is President Museveni, who he says is their tormentor. Ssemujju made these remarks whole appearing on NBS Television’s Morning Breeze on Tuesday.
“FDC will not be attending the IPOD meeting. The party President Patrick Amuriat will write to IPOD highlighting FDC’s reasons to excuse itself from the meeting. Amuriat was tortured during the campaigns and is not in the right sense of mind to meet his tormentor,” Ssemujju said.
According to the IPOD memorandum of understanding that was signed by political parties which have representation in Parliament, including DP, FDC, JEEMA, NRM and UPC, the organisation should meet every after six months and on Friday, President Museveni, as the chairperson of IPOD will host the summit.
The theme for the Friday summit is; “Dialogue for National Cohesion,” and discussions will centre on the current political terrain and the challenges that have persisted in the aftermath of the 2021 general elections.
Ssemujju, while appearing on NBS said that dialogue is very good, but they cannot go into dialogue pretending that the conditions are good when they are clearly not.
“Even in war situations, they declare a cease-fire then go and talk. The cease-fire hasn’t been declared,” Ssemujju said. Let there be a cease-fire, release everyone you have in military detention and then agree on the dialogue conditions.”
Ssemujju said that if FDC is to attend, let President Museveni demonstrate good faith by freeing the political prisoners and then invite them to discuss the future.
“After all, their campaign slogan was “Securing the future”. I don’t know whose future they are securing when people are being loaded in drones and driven to military detentions,” Ssemujju said.
National Resistance Movement secretary general Justine Kasule Lumumba, who was also appearing on Morning Breeze, said that membership in IPOD is for all political parties that have representatives and the onus is upon FDC to turn-up and present their claims instead of snubbing the meeting.
“Let them come and present the evidence they have. IPOD is not about President Museveni, it is an institution that should be respected,” Lumumba said.
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