{UAH} he FDC conference is about a culture ~ Ugandans At Heart (UAH)

he FDC conference is about a culture

Written by Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda

Last Updated: 02 September 2015

Today, Wednesday, September 2, 2015, some 1,043 Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) delegates will assemble at the Mandela national stadium in Namboole to elect a presidential candidate.

It is the third time in its 10-year history that FDC is performing this ritual. The two candidates, Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu and Col Kizza Besigye, have been the only contenders on all the three occasions.

Col Besigye has on the two previous occasions defeated Muntu and gone ahead to contest for the presidency as FDC flag bearer. The first time Besigye stood, political parties were still banned. So, he stood on individual merit, campaigning for reforms in government under a Reform Agenda banner.

Besigye has contested for the presidency three times while Muntu has contested to be a candidate two times. Within FDC and the country, there are people who think there must be a limit on the number of times one attempts, which I find ridiculous.

In fact, what this means is that Muntu should not attempt to be a presidential candidate again because he has failed twice. It also means Besigye should have stopped attempting in 2011.

For me, this is stretching the debate about presidential term limits too far. In the United States, United Kingdom and other countries, it happens where losers resign party leadership immediately after defeat. Probably we will get there. Both Muntu and Besigye have made a very big contribution towards building the FDC party. To his credit, Muntu has insisted on building a democratic culture.

The first time he contested against Besigye, it was as if he had committed murder. A senior FDC leader, in fact a deputy president, approached me and asked: "What is wrong with people?"

There are two things Muntu insisted on. He insisted on a campaigning period of at least two months and, the second, his availability to compete against Besigye. This is what is called indiscipline in the NRM. To have presidential ambitions is criminal in the ruling party. That, to me, is Muntu's biggest contribution towards building the FDC party.

It is now almost constitutional that we have to compete against each other and each candidate must be given at least two months to sell his/her candidature. That is the culture that we have established and must entrench as a party.

And Col Besigye takes credit for allowing this to happen. In fact, Besigye twice cut his term short to allow new elections so the FDC can rejuvenate its branches. If he didn't, he would probably still be the FDC president.

The democratic credentials of both these gentlemen are, therefore, impeccable and I think public appeal is what will decide the vote today. We are unlucky as a party that they both belong to the same generation.

They both have made their contribution. When they were younger, they both entered the jungles of Luweero to participate in a 'liberation' struggle. And in their adult age, they have continued challenging and sacrificing themselves for good governance.

During Sunday's televised debate, they both made me proud when they put FDC above self. Besigye and Muntu declared that the winner from today's vote is FDC. FDC because the party has done something no other party has ever done in the history of this country.

The NRM constitution allows competition for the party's presidential candidate but that opportunity has been ring-fenced for Mr Museveni. The first person to attempt to compete to be an NRM presidential candidate was former youth minister Felix Okot Ogong. He was asked during a vetting meeting not to embarrass the president and summarily stood down.

Amama Mbabazi has suffered public humiliation for nursing presidential ambitions, which is criminal in NRM. In other parties such as UPC and DP, the president general is automatically the presidential candidate. That is what their constitutions say.

Those of us who are new in the political field, the FDC is offering us practical lessons in democracy. There will certainly be challenges. The first years of FDC, everything was guided. Senior party leaders were ordered not to show sides. Election of the party president was a democratic exercise but jealously guided and controlled.

Today everybody, senior, junior, young or new is allowed to campaign for a candidate of their choice. We don't encourage senior leaders to trade blows but it is very costly trying to stop them.

People left NRM because of absence of competition and almost no space for freedom of expression. The FDC can deal with over-expression than attempt to stifle its members.

Our history is like that of Liberia where former slaves were resettled by Americans around 1817. It is not by accident that they adopted "the love of liberty brought us here" as their national motto. The love for free expression and competition brought people to FDC. Let us give it to them, no matter the consequences.

semugs@yahoo.com

The author is Kyadondo East MP.

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Comments

+3 #1 Suleman 2015-09-02 08:50

Most important , it is not just a PR exercise showing how democratic FDC is > there is a clear difference between the two candidates :

-Mugisha believes with good organisation with or without reforms he can compete in 2016 and defeat museveni. vis

- Besigye believes without reforms it is meaningless to compete in the 2016 elections.

- Muntu beleives museveni needs to be treated nicely in order not to fear departure. vis
-Besigye believes there is no need to massage museveni we have to implement what the majority of Ugandans demand

-Muntu believes we are not an Island and we can deploy Ugandan soldiers in neighbouring countries.

-Besigye beleives , Uganda ought to allow her neighbours to sort out their issues before we intervene in support of one or the other side.
etc ,etc

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0 #2 Matsiko Kahunga 2015-09-02 09:57

Over and above the debates and campaigns, leaders at all levels need structured periodic MOMENTS of REFLECTION...

Retreats in the wild, away from the hullaballoo to engage the three pillars of individual and national success/destiny , according to St Ignatius Loyola: MEMORY, INTELLIGENCE and WILL...It is only societies that balance these in the correct proportions that thrive

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+1 #3 Akankwasa Mitch 2015-09-02 10:48

Yes, Ssemujju Nganda what is taking place in FDC is indeed democracy in process regardless of the consequences.

There has always been and they will always be a price to pay for democracy. Democracy is not cheap. Regardless of the FDC conference outcome, this party, its leadership and its members should be applauded by every Ugandan citizen regardless of party affiliations.

Our country is full of cowboy politicians who are more interested in joining the gravy train than serving the people. It is quite refreshing to see some Ugandans still believing in 'doing the right thing'.

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+2 #4 Phalanch 2015-09-02 11:09

Before FDC came into existence our foundation on democracy never had a single blick in it.

Today with the blight vision of Dr Besigye and Gen Muntu & many more others FDC has given the Nation the hope of a better future with solid foundation based on democracy & equal opportunity for all.

For this we can't thank you enough for the job well .
Long live Dr Besigye and Gen Muntu .

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