{UAH} Allan/Pojim/WBK: Anywar: Why I fell out with FDC
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Why I fell out with FDC
Last week, BEATRICE ANYWAR, the Kitgum municipality MP popularly known as "Mama Mabira", told us she would gladly accept a ministerial position in President Museveni's cabinet if that was.
In the second part of her conversation with Edris Kiggundu, Anywar explained why she nominated former prime minister Amama Mbabazi and how she drifted away from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), a party she helped found and nurture.
Supporting Amama Mbabazi
It must be on record that FDC was in The Democratic Alliance (TDA). My party president [Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu] signed the protocol and that is how we got to be members of TDA. The process of electing one candidate was supposed to be taken by the summit of the TDA where I did not sit.
Proposing my name to go and nominate Amama Mbabazi was decided by my officials in a summit meeting. My vice chairperson, Hon Reagan Okumu, rang me to go and sign the nomination forms [for Mbabazi]. However, a day before the presidential nomination, my party president came to me and told me members were now uncomfortable with me nominating Mbabazi because things did work out [in TDA].
I said it does not work like that. First of all I did not choose myself to go and nominate Mbabazi. We work as a party. Secondly, if I agreed and signed the papers and they were sent to the Electoral Commission, what do you expect me to do a day before the nomination?
My conscience will not be clear. There is no way I could turn against Mbabazi who the party tasked me to nominate. I was there because the party asked me to. So, for them (FDC) to turn around against me is not fair. There is no reason for them to say that they are unhappy with me nominating Mbabazi when the party signed the TDA protocol. Even in Mbabazi's speech at Nakivubo stadium, he said he had been nominated by an FDC member. He did not say I had crossed.
If they say I am not principled, how do you explain the relationship between Dr Kizza Besigye and the lord mayor, Erias Lukwago? Lukwago has never opted to join FDC but we spend party money and time to promote him.
Is this why you decided to stand as an independent?
I am independent against my own wish because my party messed me up. I was one of the founders of FDC. I am grateful that the people of Kitgum brought me back.
In Kitgum municipality, they just handpicked [Denis] Onekalit [as FDC flag bearer]. There were no primaries. Worst of all my nomination papers which had been signed by FDC members were stolen at the last minute when I was seeing Dr Besigye at a hotel in Kitgum. I had to go back to the EC and pick other forms with a day to nomination. This was burdening.
If you had disagreements with FDC, why did you rush to Besigye's rally in Kitgum?
I came to his rally because I still believed I was a party member but I was pushed away by some of Besigye's radical supporters. Whenever Besigye was in Kitgum, he would stay at my home.
But because of Nandala [Mafabi], the FDC secretary general, and few people at headquarters, they tried to fight me. When Besigye and Muntu were in Kitgum, they showed my opponent as the party flag bearer. I got disappointed but it showed they did not really need me. Had I not won, would any of them bother to know what happened to me?
Hon Reagan Okumu who also came as an independent is still recognized as an executive member of FDC which contradicts the party constitution.
Now that elections are over, why don't you reconcile with the party?
I thank Muntu for trying to reconcile me [with the party]. He has tried. His argument has been that there are some radicals in FDC who have messed up FDC. One of them is the secretary general Nandala-Mafabi. He once went on TV and said I was meeting President Museveni at night.
So, I resigned from the shadow cabinet. I said if there issues surrounding me let me step aside. I remember we went to see Dr Besigye and he asked Nandala: "where are the facts [that Anywar is seeing Museveni at night]?" Nandala said he has been hearing rumours. Besigye said a good leader does not work on rumours. Besigye pleaded with me to go back to the shadow cabinet and that is when I changed my mind.
ONE-MAN'S SHOW?
I am drifting away from FDC because we need to build teamwork in the party. If it becomes a one-man's show, what is the difference between Besigye and FDC or Museveni and NRM? My thinking of joining FDC and even sacrificing for Besigye was that one time I or other members should also aspire to lead the party.
Muntu has tried [to build the party] but he has been demonised by the radical supporters of Dr Besigye. Besigye needs to come out and condemn this behavior, but he has not.
In my view, a good leader should be accommodative. If you encourage people to tell you what you don't want to hear, that means people are honest with you and that you are willing to be advised.
When I won the MP [race], no one congratulated me. Reagan Okumu [the MP for Aswa and FDC vice president for northern Uganda] is recognized [yet he is an independent] but for me, I am not. I am a senior founding member of the party. If they cared, they would have invited me to explain myself. Even some FDC MPs told the leadership that you cannot ignore Anywar; she is a founding member of the party.
So, when did you last talk to leaders in FDC?
FDC contacted me when they were trying to form a shadow cabinet. I talked to Muntu and I told him that I am not happy about what happened [during the elections].
I told him, "you have not made efforts to reconcile us especially me and the secretary general [Nandala-Mafabi] who brought about all this confusion." But worst of it is that even if I go back, I need to have my conscience clear because my name has been tarnished.
Muntu came to my home twice. He talked passionately. He told me let us build the party, leave the individual conflicts. I told him I have served this party well from the days of Reform Agenda but now I feel free as an independent.
ekiggundu@observer.ug
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