By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) is engaging with leaders of sister opposition political parties to field a joint candidate for Dokolo district woman MP seat in the forthcoming by-election.
Mulidwa Walid Lubega, the party deputy secretary for publicity (publication and documentation) said at a press conference on Monday (February 19) that the party national leadership led by party president Eng. Patrick Amuriat Oboi are already meeting with other leaders such as Hon. Jimmy Akena (UPC), Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (NUP) and Nobert Mao (DP) to harmonise and back the FDC candidate.
On Wednesday last week, the FDC unveiled Dr. Alwoc RoseMary Ogwal Austin as their flag bearer in the Dokolo district Woman MP by-election to replace her late mother, Hon. Cecilia Ogwal Barbrah who passed on in January.
According to the FDC, Dokolo is a stronghold of their party giving an upper hand for their candidate. They appealed to other forces of change to rally behind Dr. Alwoc in continuing her mother’s legacy.
“Our candidate presents the best credentials of all the candidates to represent the best opposition in this race. She is a candidate of United forces. […] We believe our candidate has a better ground to be fronted as a better opposition candidate,” said Walid.
It should be recalled that during an interview with NBS Television on Wednesday night, UPC’s Akena rejected the proposal by FDC to field a single candidate. He said the party is focusing on building strong structures noting that Dokolo by-election is significant in assessing the part’s mobilization efforts and progress.
“We intend to build our party. I was in Dokolo last month doing mobilisation, and this by-election provides an opportunity to build and test our structure. We have not been formally approached by FDC at any point regarding a single candidate,” Akena said in an interview with NBS TV.
Other parties have not yet communicated their position regarding this talk but Walid said the party electoral commission will update the country on the outcomes of these engagements soon.
Polling dates for Dokolo district Woman MP by-election is according to the Electoral Commission scheduled for March 21.
