By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Hon. Eng. Patrick Oboi Amuriat has outrightly rejected the call by his deputy for central region also the Kampala city, Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago and party spokesperson Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda to suspend the ongoing elections to allow FDC National Executive Committee (NEC) first resolve internal disputes.
The duo on Thursday met with other NEC members from all the four regions of Uganda at Fairway Hotel Nakaseero in Kampala and agreed that the ongoing electoral exercise to elect structure leaders must be suspended, cancel elections in areas where they have already taken place and that the electoral commission of the FDC must be disbanded. According to this group, the election lacks a clear electoral roadmap and does not clearly state the funds budgeted to fund the activities.
They accuse the party SG Nandala Mafabi and EC chairperson Boniface Toterebuka Bamwenda of conducting and organizing what they termed as Sham Elections.
Eng. Amuriat however, says that the national council sitting at Najjanankumbi on July 28 resolved that elections should continue to take place in areas where they had not been conducted and therefore cannot be suspended.
He accused MP Ssemujju and Lord Mayor Lukwago of convening a meeting to illegally oppose the decision that was reached at by the party’s topmost organ.
On the other hand, FDC party vice chairman for Eastern region Proscovia Salaam Musumba who chaired a media briefing at the 16th national council which gave green lights to the conducting of party structure elections yesterday said at Fairway Hotel that the elections in areas where they have taken place did not meet required standards. She urged SG Nandala group and the EC to agree to NEC proposal to suspend the exercise and conduct a fresh elections with a clear electoral roadmap and budget for betterment of the party.
In a joint statement signed at Fairway Hotel on Thursday leaders under the Ssemujju – Lukwago group demanded that SG Nandala, President Amuriat and other NEC members intending to contest for any position in the party should step aside to allow the electoral commission organize a smooth electoral exercise.
In his response, Amuriat declined this call stating that he is not ready to resign from his position as the FDC president.
Elections in FDC started on July 22 from Village to parish and district levels and are still ongoing in some areas although some members are against the exercise.
