The president of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Amuriat, has expressed his opposition to the notion of boycotting elections, even if they are perceived as neither free nor fair.
Appearing on NBS Television's "The Frontline," Amuriat stated that regardless of the conditions surrounding the 2026 general elections, it would be unwise for the opposition to boycott the process.
"Boycotting elections is not a wise decision, whether the elections are free and fair or not," he remarked on Thursday.
His stance comes in the wake of the National Unity Platform (NUP) announcing its "protest vote" strategy, which involves contesting the 2026 elections while acknowledging the existing flaws in the electoral system.
Amuriat emphasized that, regardless of the electoral processes' legitimacy, the opposition should engage in next year's elections.
The "protest vote" concept by the NUP has elicited mixed reactions within the opposition, with some supporting it while others are against it.
Last week, on NBS Television's "Morning Breeze," the leader of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), Gen. Mugisha Muntu, expressed his skepticism about boycotts, labeling them as a risky gamble.
“We don’t believe in boycotts. The only time you can engage in a boycott is if you’ve built such strong capabilities and have control over your support base to the point that a boycott paralyzes the country,” he stated.
“If you’re not able to pull that off, then it’s a high-risk gamble. You could disappear after that election. Participating in Uganda’s elections is the worst experience — but like in the army, some colleagues will be shot, they will die and be buried, but do you disengage? No. You continue until you achieve victory,” Muntu added.